Sales Manager

UK Sales Manager – Foodservice & Out-of-Home

Essex – Hybrid / Field-Based (ideally 1 day per week in-office)

£80,000 + benefits + employee share scheme

I'm working with a well-established British food manufacturer to recruit a UK Sales Manager to lead and develop their Foodservice and Out-of-Home business.

This is a business with over 140 years of heritage, a fantastic product portfolio and a reputation built on quality. They've been successful for generations, but there's now a real opportunity to take their commercial approach to the next level.

The wider business turns over approximately £50m, with Foodservice and Out-of-Home contributing around £15m.

They've got strong relationships with major wholesalers and foodservice customers, but the business recognises that there's more to go after. They need someone who can bring fresh thinking, develop the team and build a more proactive approach to sales.

This isn't a role for someone who simply wants to maintain an established customer base. They need a leader who can challenge existing ways of working, get close to customers and help shape the future of the channel.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the UK Foodservice and Out-of-Home sales strategy.
• Manage and develop a team of 2 National Account Managers and 1 National Account Executive.
• Take ownership of a £15m channel, covering over 100 customers.
• Manage and develop relationships with major wholesalers, including Sysco, Bidfood and Costco.
• Identify new business opportunities and drive distribution across existing and new customers.
• Build a more proactive, commercially focused sales culture.
• Support the team with customer meetings, negotiations and business development.
• Own sales forecasting, budgets, commercial planning and performance.
• Work closely with senior leadership to support the wider growth strategy.

What we're looking for

• Proven sales leadership experience within Foodservice, Wholesale or Out-of-Home.
• Strong understanding of the UK Foodservice market and major wholesale customers.
• Experience managing and developing National Account Management teams.
• A commercially driven leader with a genuine appetite for new business.
• Someone who can bring structure, accountability and energy to an established team.
• Comfortable challenging traditional ways of working and implementing change.
• Hands-on, approachable and happy spending time with customers and the wider team.
• Strong commercial understanding across P&L, forecasting, negotiations and customer strategy.

The Opportunity

There's a lot to like about this business. It's an established, majority employee-owned British food manufacturer, with a long-term approach to investment and genuine ambitions to grow.

The wider business is targeting growth from approximately £50m to £100m over the next seven years, and this role will play an important part in helping develop the Foodservice channel.

You'll inherit an experienced team, an established customer base and a well-regarded product portfolio.

What the business needs now is someone who can bring a more proactive commercial approach, develop the team and unlock the opportunities that are already there.

If the role and responsibilities sound like a good fit for you, then I'd love to speak to you!

Find out more about our available opportunities or how we can help you further your career – contact us today.

Please get in touch or click "Apply Now" to be considered for this vacancy:

Call: 020 7871 8000

Email: will.cattell@advocate-group.co.uk

The Advocate Group is a leading recruitment partner, based in the UK, to the FMCG and consumer product sectors. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. By applying for this role, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy, which can be found on our website. Please note that The Advocate Group is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.