Foodservice Cateys 2024: Salesperson of the Year – Robbie Laidlaw, Genuine Dining

Robbie Laidlaw has rapidly ascended the corporate ladder, having joined Genuine Dining seven years ago as business development executive. Now business development director, he is instrumental in driving the company’s annual growth, his team of five delivering impressive results for the business.

One of Laidlaw’s key achievements is his management of the tender process. He ensures that each proposal is meticulously crafted, competitive and aligned with the company’s values. His strategic oversight and negotiation skills have secured numerous high-value contracts, significantly contributing to the company’s revenue. His work has led the sales team to 38% growth while securing 11 new contracts in the past 12 months.

This growth will be in part down to initiatives including revamping the tender process to integrate a freelance video production team. This team collaborates with sales and operations to create compelling proposals that have clearly had results, having boosted the company’s win percentage by 10%.

Laidlaw has also developed the “Genuine Experiences” brand to enhance client engagement and encourage employees to return to the office. This initiative includes a variety of experiences including sushi rolling, wine tasting and street food pop-ups.

He has also positioned Genuine Dining positively in terms of sustainability. In October 2023, he partnered with Auditel, a carbon footprint consultancy, to analyse the company’s carbon emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3. This data-driven approach enabled the creation of sustainability reports for clients, showcasing Genuine Dining’s commitment to impactful environmental practices.

His work has extended into social impact too, having forged partnerships with Cook for Good, GoodPeople and Old Spike. With Cook for Good, Genuine Dining donates leftover ingredients, offers cookery classes, provides work experience and employs individuals from the local community. It’s work with GoodPeople has seen nine long-term unemployed people find jobs, with a target of employing 120 over two years. Laidlaw has also introduced the industry’s first Parent Employability Scheme to offer flexible working hours, which is being adopted as a best practice model by local councillors.

With Old Spike Genuine Dining has trained 127 individuals from homelessness backgrounds in barista skills and employed 17 across the business.

Of course, it’s not only Laidlaw’s sales performance that has been impressive. In December 2023, he and Genuine Dining chief executive Chris Mitchell rowed across the Atlantic, raising more than £300,000 for Hospitality Action. This incredible feat not only benefitted an important charity, it also raised the profile of Genuine Dining, positively affecting sales and exposure.

For his leadership, innovation, resilience and dedication to driving Genuine Dining’s remarkable sales performance over the past year, Laidlaw is a worthy winner of the Foodservice Cateys Salesperson of the Year award.

What the judges said

“Robbie is clearly well-loved, talented and driven. A legend.”

Sarah Prentice

See previous winners of the award here