Epicure Foods Service for a Service Industry

Epicure Foods – service for a service industry

There’s something stirring in the hills above Belfast! Relax- it’s not some wild creature escaped from nearby Bellevue Zoo but rather a more loveable, cuddly kind of animal – Wholesalerus Superbius to give it the Latin name or, put another way, Epicure Select Foods Ltd of Mallusk.

Acquired outright some two years ago by Dan Carlin (formerly Managing Director of Castlewood Farm Products) the company, which was originally established in 1999, has bucked all industry trends by showing strong growth in the past couple of years. “We are supplying a Service Industry”, emphasized Mr Carlin, “so, in much the same way that the consumer can ask for the dish without the sauce or with extra garnish and rightfully expect the finished product to be correct, the team at Epicure has been conditioned to go the extra mile for our growing band of Licensed and Daytime Customers.” The experienced distributor went on to say that the food service sector has come to be dominated by five or six extremely large players “good companies all – but inevitably the bigger the company the more rules and regulations are involved. Epicure Foods doesn’t have a minimum order policy; doesn’t have a cut off point for next day deliveries; can split cases and has managed same day delivery on many occasions in the summer season 2010. We like to say ‘Yes’,” commented Dan Carlin.

SIMPLE TOUCHES FOR SUCCESS Epicure Select Foods operates in a mature market. “We didn’t invent 4oz steakburgers, but the variables we can control are the manner in which your order is taken and the way that our van man delivers them,” continued Mr Carlin. “Simple touches, such as willingness to carry a few boxes up some stairs, are where accounts are won and lost.” On the subject of burgers, Epicure currently carries a ‘Fast Food Style’ 100% Burger from Freeza Meats of Newry and recently launched a ‘Handmade’ variety from Armstrong Meats in the Castlereagh Hills. Given the owner/manager’s fresh pork background, it is no surprise to see bacon, pork and cooked meats (all sourced locally) featuring prominently in the Epicure Foods catalogue. Ready meals, poultry products, seafood, potato products from Aviko, bread, both part-baked and baked, desserts and a wide choice of dairy products make up the remainder of the portfolio, which is growing by the day. “Joanna Przyborowska (accounts and administration) shares my passion for customer service,” continued Dan Carlin. “We are ably assisted by the likes of Laura Jackson (telesales) and long-serving driver Brian Brennan.” The mix of products and people must be paying off, with double digit turnover growth year-on-year. “We are opening new accounts at a rate of knots,” stated the main salesman, “we appear to be doing very well with caterers who move from site to site for events, or caterers who come seeking a bespoke solution to a problem, such as cooked bacon where a lease prohibits cooking odours.”

DIVERSIFIED RANGE Originally a pure frozen foods company, chilled lines were introduced in late 2008 and already account for 20% of all sales. Furthermore, the company now provides many non processed or raw material type products - another change in direction. The customer base is a roughly equally split between hotels and bars, non licensed catering, the public sector and some specialist caterers. Epicure Select Foods possesses the correct mix of products from carefully selected suppliers, a well motivated team of people to serve customers, comprehensive coverage of the province and, of course competitive, prices. Enquiries will be welcome on Belfast 028 9084 3800 or sales@ epicurefoods.net or 07808 395812. Epicure Select Foods Ltd, 18 McKinney Road, McKinney Industrial Estate, Mallusk, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT36 4PX T: 028 9084 3800 • Fax: 028 9084 8451 • M: 07808 395812 • E: [email protected] • W: www.epicurefoods.net