Compass’ procurement business establishes Foodbuy Group (UK & I)

Foodbuy, the procurement arm of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has expanded to form what is believed to be the industry’s largest group purchasing organisation, Foodbuy Group (UK & I).

It comes soon after Compass Group acquired Zero Procure in November last year.

Foodbuy was created by Compass following its acquisition of third-party procurement specialists Acquire Services in October 2015. It has since grown into a £2b business spanning over 70 categories.

Foodbuy Group has also launched a new division dedicated to independently run, sub-sector specialist businesses, which include Regency Purchasing Group, Equinoxe, EF-Group, Zero Procure and TheProcurementCo, now operating under Foodbuy UK & Ireland.

The other divisions include the NHS Supply Chain team, which will continue to be the sole supplier for its parent company, Compass Group UK & Ireland.

Karl Atkins, chief executive of Foodbuy Group (UK & I), pictured above, said: “We’re thrilled to offer our partners the best of both worlds – the benefits of scale from Foodbuy Group, and the operational sub-sector knowledge from Foodbuy UK & I’s independently run businesses who truly understand them.

“With Regency Purchasing Group’s founder, Alex Demetriou, at the helm of Foodbuy UK & I, I’m confident the company will drive further growth across multiple market sectors, while maximising savings and identifying new ways of bringing innovation to our long-standing and new client partners.”

Alex Demetriou, chief executive of Foodbuy UK & I, added: “The creation of Foodbuy Group is hugely exciting and exceptionally well timed. While the industry is facing ongoing operational challenges and costs, by bringing together our purchasing power, we can deliver even greater value to our client partners and help them thrive.

“This latest move has also opened up new jobs – with 16 roles already filled and more across the UK currently advertised. It has also created huge opportunities for the suppliers and brand owners we partner with, as we can now further support them with the delivery of their innovation and development plans. I’m excited to see what we can achieve as a collective.”

Foodbuy Group has a network of over 700 supply partners.