Over 200 guests attended the National Gallery on Thursday 11th December to celebrate the Country Range Group’s (CRG) annual ‘An Evening With…’ event and awards ceremony, which was hosted by TV personality Vernon Kay.
The sell-out event is always one of the key dates in CRG’s calendar and highlights successes of the Group, its supplier partners and member wholesalers over the past year. In addition to the awards ceremony, attendees were also treated to a unique drinks reception with special access to some of the most famous artworks in the Gallery’s collection, a bespoke 3-course dinner that had been created by caterers Rhubarb and an afterparty within The Annenberg Court.
Whilst the focus of the evening was on recognition and celebration, it was also an opportunity to come together to make a difference. With seven prizes up for grabs including Six Nations Rugby tickets, tickets to an event of your choice in a hospitality box at the O2 and a round of golf at Woburn Golf Course, this year’s charity raffle raised a fantastic £5000 for two outstanding organisations; The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, working to transform the lives of people living with food allergies and The Mines Advisory Group (MAG), helping communities around the world rebuild safely after conflict.
This year for the first time in the events 12-year history, two people focused awards were presented:
For the first time at an An Evening with event, CRG celebrated the success of some of the individuals from across their membership whose passion, creativity and commitment really make a lasting impact across their businesses.
- The Rising Star award recognises an individual in the early stages of their foodservice career who has quickly adapted, exceeded expectations, or introduced fresh ideas making a real impact. They demonstrate strong potential, dedication to learning and a proactive spirit that sets them apart.
- The Foodservice Champion award which honours an individual who consistently delivers excellence and embodies the values of professionalism, teamwork and service — someone who truly champions the spirit of foodservice.
The 2025 Member Award Winners:
- Best Own Brand Performance – Harlech Foodservice
- Best Branded Performance – Savona Foodservice
- Best Digital Activation – Birchall Foodservice
- Best New Wholesaler – First Choice Foodservice
- Member of the Year – Birchall Foodservice
- Rising Star – Alys Baxter of Harlech Foodservice
- Foodservice Champion – Jason Gold of Europ Foods
The 2025 Supplier Award Winners:
- Marketing Excellence – PepsiCo
- Business Relationship – Radnor Hills
- Service Performance – darta
- CRG Insight Data Champion – pladis Global
- Best New Supplier – Pan Euro Foods
- Frozen Supplier of the Year – Proper Cornish
- Own Brand Supplier of the Year – Kings Fine Cooked Meats
- Branded Supplier of the Year – Premier Foods
The perfect backdrop for the night’s entertainment
Country Range Group Chief Executive Martin Ward said: “It’s always a highlight of our year bringing together our dedicated members and valued supplier partners for our annual ‘An Evening With…’ awards evening and this year’s celebration was certainly no different. The National Gallery is a stunningly iconic venue steeped in history and provided the perfect backdrop for the night’s entertainment. It’s been a hugely positive 12 months for the Group and as we have just finalised our next five-year strategy development, we are ensuring that the Group and our membership are well positioned to grow profitably in the coming years in spite of a difficult marketplace. A huge congratulations to all the award winners and a heartfelt thank you to every single person who has contributed to the Group’s successes over the past year.”
Want to Attend The Next Country Range Group Event?
Suppliers interested in participating in the upcoming Country Range Group Business Development Day, scheduled for the end of January 2026, are invited to contact their regular Country Range Group trading representative if they are already a current supplier to the Group. Alternatively find out more about the Groups upcoming events.
