Chester food wholesaler is one of the best places to work in the UK

A Chester food wholesaler that “cares passionately” about its workers is one of the best places to work in the UK – and that’s official.

Harlech Foodservice has been included in the Sunday Times prestigious list of the best employers in 2025.

Delighted staff say they’re not at all surprised because they all feel part of the family owned firm.

The good news came hot on the heels of another accolade when Harlech was recently crowned by The Caterer magazine as the best wholesaler in the UK.

The Sunday Times judges said:

“This family-owned catering supplier cares passionately about the morale of its 245-strong workforce.

“Teamwork is encouraged by management and this is felt key to the company’s wider success.

“Colleagues are motivated to have a say, making them feel valued, and last year almost 20 per cent were promoted from within the business.

“Benefits include staff discounts and a pension scheme, cycle-to-work, a wellbeing programme and a well-regarded Christmas hamper.”

Staff said they agreed with the assessment that Harlech Foodservice was among the best places to work in the country. 

Regional sales controller Dave Roberts, who’s based in Chester, said the company being family-owned and always keen to promote from within were key factors in its success.

Dave, who lives in Frodsham, joined the firm four years ago and now leads a team which looks after the company’s national and key accounts in North Wales, North West England and the Midlands.

He said:

“Still being a family business is quite key for me. We’re big enough to do a great job but small enough to care, that’s what we are as a business.

“We’re not too big, so we are still an agile and responsive business that can go out there and give customers what they need.

“The opportunity for promotion within the company is also very important. I think it gives people pride, and drives people in their careers.

“There is definitely a career progression path within the company, and that’s really important.

“I think they’re a great business to work for, I really do, and I would recommend anybody to join them.”

David Cattrall, managing director of the firm which also has bases in  which has bases in Criccieth in North Wales, Carmarthen, Aberbargoed, and Telford, said the listing in the Sunday Times was great recognition for the firm.

He said:

“I am chuffed to bits quite honestly.

“We have been driving sales growth in the last couple of years and to make it happen we knew the first thing we had to do was invest in our people, and strengthen our people from top to bottom.

“The fact that we have done that and a short time later we have been recognised on our first attempt when being measured by the Sunday Times and WorkL is terrific.

“The staff have fed back that we genuinely are a great place to work, so we are very pleased.

“It was the team that gave us the feedback and it is done anonymously.”

David said one of the company’s strengths was that it remained family-owned.

He said:

“What we try to maintain as we grow is that small business feeling where everybody knows each other.

“We want people to be able to speak to each other, it’s that small family feel that we are trying to maintain.

“We don’t want to lose that informality you get in a small business.

“We also recognise from the feedback that we are doing a pretty good job on the whole but there’s room to improve. What we are working on is what can we do better.

“I’m very keen on making sure that new opportunities are offered to people within the company first, so they can grow and prosper.

“We are really keen that we try to grow and develop our own people, that is our culture.”

The Sunday Times accolade follows a national honour for the firm earlier this year – when it was named the best food wholesaler in the UK.

Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, said: 

"The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is the UK’s biggest survey of employee engagement, compiled in partnership with workplace expert WorkL.

“Spanning a raft of sectors and located throughout the UK, the organisations in this year’s list range from innovative start-ups with a handful of employees to big multinational corporations staffed by thousands.

“These organisations know that happy employees are the superpower helping them thrive.”