Yearsley Group wins new education supply contract

Frozen food wholesaler Yearsley Food Sales has been appointed to a two-year framework with the university catering organisation TUCO Purchasing. The Yearsley's team is already making the most of the opportunity, securing 16 new contracts with universities and colleges across the UK within just the first month.

Following a tender process, Yearsley Food Sales was appointed to the framework which supports catering procurement for more than 320 higher and further educations institutions nationwide. The opening up of this new market boosts Yearsley's already successful education portfolio.

Mark Fletcher from Yearsley Food Sales, said: "We were delighted to have been appointed to the framework agreement and are pleased with the initial success of our sales teams in securing these early contracts. Already supplier to a number of independent schools, local authorities and school catering customers, this represents our first major break into the higher and further education sector.

"At a time when the sector is rigorously reviewing its costs and seeking to improve its own services, we are pleased to be winning new customers. Early feedback from the catering managers shows many have been attracted to our competitive pricing structure and nationwide delivery capability."

Yearsley Food Sales offers more than 1,500 individual frozen food lines. Products proving popular so far with TUCO Purchasing clients include handheld snack foods – including chicken burgers, pies and pastries. In addition, specialist ethnic products from Yearsley's large Indian, Chinese, Halal and Kosher ranges have also been in high demand with many establishments now providing a wide choice of on-campus restaurants for staff, students and visitors.

Within the education sector, Yearsley Food Sales also supplies customers through relationships with the organisations such as the Catering Academy, Alliance in Partnership, G4S Group, Aramark, CMC and a number of independent schools.

Yearsley Food Sales wholesales a full range of frozen food products, supplying retailers, caterers and institutions in all sectors of the UK marketplace. The Food Sales division is part of Yearsley Group, which operates a purpose-built repack facility at its Heywood cold store, and has recently acquired seafood specialist IcePak, offering 500+ additional product lines. Food Sales customers benefit from the Group's distribution capability as the UK's largest provider of temperature controlled stores, with 12 depots nationwide with a fleet of more than 300 vehicles.