Retailers Retailer Awards

M&C Report

M&C Report is the leading authority on the UK eating-out and drinking-out markets. It is the only publication written exclusively for the senior management tier of the industry. Published by William Reed Business Media, M&C's two main products are a real-time news service www.mcreport.com with the latest breaking stories from across the sector and a monthly journal crammed with insight, analysis and commentary.

M&C Report also produces a clutch of industry-leading events, such as the Retailers' Retailer Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation in the eating-out and drinking-out sector. These awards really matter because they are selected by the industry itself - they are based on the votes of hundreds of senior executives from the market. They are therefore a true reflection of what the market thinks.

Barclays

Deal of the Year category partner

Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, we operate in over 50 countries and employ over 140,000 people. We provide corporate banking solutions to businesses with an annual turnover of more than £5 million in the UK, and to large local companies, financial institutions and multinationals in non-UK markets. We support the success and growth of our clients by providing lending, risk management, cash and liquidity management, trade finance, and asset and sales financing. Client service is at the heart of Barclays - no other bank is rated better by their clients for overall satisfaction, advocacy and loyalty in the UK. We are the market's number one ‘future choice of bank'.¹ Barclays were the first bank to recognise the need for sector specialisms. Today, 45 sectors benefit from the experience and expertise of our dedicated teams. We aim to work alongside our clients as financial partners, helping their business to succeed. We recognise that this sector is diverse and that the businesses within it have different needs. To be more closely aligned to your specific requirements, our Relationship Directors have a dedicated focus.

Dedicated support for the hospitality and leisure sector
For more than a decade, Barclays has been at the forefront in providing support and funding to a wide range of hospitality and leisure companies. Working with our team of dedicated Relationship Directors, you can be confident that you will always have access to the right specialists, perfectly placed to understand your business and connect you to the expertise that you need. Contact Mike Delay, Head of Licensed Trade, Hospitality and Leisure at mike.delay@barclays.com or visit Barclays.com/corporatebanking to find out how we can help your business succeed.

Britvic Soft Drinks

Retailers' Retailer of the Year category partner  

Britvic Soft Drinks is one of the UK's leading soft drinks manufacturers and is dedicated to creating and building brands such as Pepsi, Robinsons, Tango and J²O into household names.

Operating in the leisure market, it is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks and the number two supplier of branded carbonates. Britvic offers its customers a portfolio of soft drinks to meet every consumer occasion and need and has a strong track record of delivering successful innovation.

Customer recognition is at the heart of our business and we are committed to rewarding those that have excelled in market positioning, attention to detail and flawless execution. That is why we're please to be sponsoring the M&C Report Retailers' Retailer of the Year awards, as it rewards the best companies, concepts and individuals in the pub, bar and restaurant market.

Bidvest Logistics

Best Emerging Concept category partner

Bidvest Logistics are the leading supplier of logistical and supply chain solutions to the UK hospitality and restaurant sector.

We translate the needs and wants of our customers into bespoke supply chain solutions that are cost effective, responsive, and durable. We aim to work in collaboration with our customers to unlock further service improving and cost saving initiatives in our combined supply chain.

We are part of the Bidvest Group based in South Africa which is the largest global foodservice supplier outside of North America, and our associated companies in the UK are 3663, and Direct Seafoods.

Our ambition is to lead our market through continuous development and improvement, by working collaboratively to deliver supply chain excellence within long term relationships to delighted customers.

We would love to talk to you about your service requirements and see how we can help.

Visit www.bidvestlogistics.com or contact getintouch@bidvestlogistics.com for more information

Bunzl Catering and Hospitality Division

Best Concept category partner

Bunzl Catering and Hospitality Division are the UK's leading suppliers of disposables, equipment and guest amenities to all sectors of the catering and hospitality industry. The businesses form an extensive nationwide distribution network and provide the most comprehensive range of products in the marketplace. They incorporate Bunzl Catering Supplies, Bunzl Lockhart Catering Equipment, Continental Chef Supplies, WK Thomas, Bunzl Guest Amenities, together with Buwier luxury guest amenities and Thomson Medd Christmas. The businesses offer the largest range of light and heavy catering equipment for front and back of house - everything from catering disposables, hygiene paper, cleaning and janitorial products, to in-room guest amenities, speciality festive products and a full design service that includes planning, construction and installation.

Miller Brands

Rising Star category partner

Miller Brands is the UK and Ireland subsidiary of SABMiller, one of the world's largest brewers. Miller Brands has responsibility for the development of SABMiller's international premium brands across the UK and Ireland.

Our exciting portfolio of brands include Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Miller Genuine Draft, Polish brands Tyskie and Lech and Belgian Abbey beer St Stefanus. Our portfolio of brands provides our customers with the perfect range for them to trade up their customer in order to maximise their own profits.

Through our consistent distribution discipline, supplemented by engaging marketing activities, Miller Brands is bringing value back into the beer category. Sales continue to grow year on year in a declining market and this is increasingly recognised and referenced by retailers.

More information can be found at http://www.millerbrands.co.uk/

Olswang

Best Company category partner

Olswang is a full service leading law firm with a diverse Leisure & Retail practice, headed up by corporate partner, David Roberts.

The practice acts for the key players and influencers in the Leisure & Retail space, all of whom benefit from our connections, our specialist sector knowledge and international platform.

Calling upon Olswang's famous entrepreneurial spirit, the firm's Leisure & Retail practice acts for an impressive list of domestic and foreign clients that demand advisers that do more than just paper the deals.    

In this day and age, clients want advice, they want introductions, they want ideas, they want leadership, they demand passion and they require value.

These are the core values of Olswang and have become part of the DNA of the Leisure & Retail practice.

As an indication of the quality of our practice, our deals include the acquisitions of Hard Rock Café, the Caprice Group, Mark Birley Holdings Limited, Wentworth Golf Club, Esporta Gym and Racquetball Club, Strada, Soho House Limited, Alpha Flight Catering, Searcys and the Eton Collection. 

Due to our deep commitment and connections within the Leisure & Retail space, we have evolved relationships with key stakeholders in the sector, be they owners, operators, asset managers, lenders, advisers, intermediaries or private equity investors.  They are all part of our circle.

We would love to come and talk to you about your business.

We love to listen and if you are looking for special service, let us dish it up for you, the Olswang way.  After all, we are all in the hospitality industry aren't we?

Pernod Ricard

The Evolution Award category and bar partner

Pernod Ricard UK is part of Pernod Ricard - co-leader of the global wines and spirits industry. We are a passionate, entrepreneurial and dynamic company responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of the Group's leading premium spirits, wines and champagnes in the UK. 

Our priority brands in the UK market include ABSOLUT vodka, Brancott Estate wine, Campo Viejo wine, Chivas Regal Scotch whisky, G.H. Mumm champagne, Havana Club rum, Jacob's Creek wine, Jameson Irish whiskey, Malibu rum, Martell cognac and Perrier-Jouët champagne.

Premium is synonymous with everything we do at Pernod Ricard UK; from our brands to how we interact with our customers. With one of the finest collections of drinks brands in the world, we have earned ourselves a solid reputation for our unrivalled offering in premium drinks - brands that embody heritage, quality and provenance.

We see great opportunities in the UK market for premium spirits, wines and champagnes and so are delighted to be supporting the Retailer's Retailer of The Year Evolution Award. In today's fast-moving and competitive on-trade environment, it is imperative that bars, pubs and restaurants are able to effectively evolve and reposition their trading concepts in order to remain relevant to consumer demand. These outstanding finalists are playing an invaluable role in the drinks industry and we take great pride in celebrating with them.

Vianet

Best Venue category partner
 

Vianet Group Plc provides operational transparency to customers in the Licensed, Leisure, Vending and Petrol forecourt sectors by remotely capturing data and providing intuitive management reporting which can be acted upon to significantly improve business performance. This enables customers to improve operating profitability through a combination of cost reduction measures and revenue growth.

Vianet's i-draught system is a highly advanced beer monitoring system designed specifically to provide licensed premise owners and operators with complete operational transparency of draught beer dispense performance, the results from which enable key improvement actions such as:

• Maximising yield through identifying and reducing wastage
• Minimising shrinkage through comparing timed dispense to till variance
• Tap rationalisation by identifying under utilised founts
• Reducing service costs through fewer taps and planned maintenance
• Identifying poor practices which can be improved through staff training
• Monitoring and improving Technical Service contractual performance
• Reconciling stock deliveries and dispensed volume

As well as critical areas of draught beer dispense, Vianet can also monitor post mix syrup, spirits and fridge temperatures, thus giving customers real insight into the operational performance of their business.

Vianet is also a key supplier of gaming machine monitoring and reporting technology for AWP and gaming machines in the licensed, leisure and adult gaming sectors via its Coin-Metrics and Machine Insite businesses. The information and customer support provided by each business has enabled customers to maximise the up time of their machines increasing revenue and profit.

Vianet is also a world leader in vending machine monitoring for major international and UK brand owners and operators such as Glaxo SmithKline. The development and deployment of telemetry and cashless technology solutions has given customers complete operating transparency and enabled substantial cost reduction and product rate of sale improvements to be made resulting in increased machine and route profitability.

The overriding aim of all Vianet Group companies is to help customers increase profitability through providing operational transparency and information they can act on.

Zolfo Cooper

The Fastest Growing Profits Company category partner

Zolfo Cooper is a leading advisory and restructuring firm that works with a broad range of companies, shareholders, management teams and banks from across the eating and drinking-out spectrum.

The scope of its work includes business disposals, acquisition advisory, fundraisings and debt advisory. Recent assignments include: the successful private equity fundraisings for Pho with Isis Private Equity, Be@1 with Piper Private Equity and Brasserie Blanc with Core Capital. In addition Zolfo Cooper advised Hutton Collins and LGV on the acquisition of Novus.

Zolfo Cooper, with their Leisure Advisory Partner Ian Edward, combines leading financial expertise with a deep-seated understanding of the leisure market. This allows the team to advise businesses across the spectrum from early stage businesses seeking roll out capital to mature businesses addressing balance sheet challenges.

For more information visit http://www.zolfocooper.eu/ or email Partner and Head of Hospitality and Leisure Paul Hemming: phemming@zolfocooper.eu 

Zonal Retail Data Systems

Investor of the Year category partners

Zonal provide Total Hospitality Management Solutions for a wide range of hospitality companies spanning all of the industry, and differing sizes of companies.

The solutions are used to manage 55 % of the UK Managed Pub and Restaurant sector, with current programmes increasing this dominance to over 75 % in the next 3 years.

Over 4.5 million meals a week are processed through Zonal solutions.

Zonal are the market leaders with a dominant share of the Theatre sector, Bowling, Nightclubs, and Leisure Parks.

The market leading position of Zonal is underpinned by an investment in Product Development in excess of any other provider in the UK.

The Zonal product roadmap and vision for a rapidly changing hospitality market place has delivered 32 years of success for our impressive range of blue chip customers and rapidly expanding SME's.

Zonal are proud to sponsor the Retailers Retailer of The Year again, and to share in the recognition of successful retailers.

For more information on our success and vision visit www.zonal.co.uk