Ironbridge Suite • 15.30 – 16.45

The conference session will comprise the following presentations:

Business Update

Martin Ward, Chief Executive, Country Range Group
Martin Ward took on the role of Chief Executive in October 2022. He has been with Lancashire-based CRG for over 20 years, having first joined in 2002 as a Foodservice Buyer where he played a key role in the development of the Country Range brand.

He became Trading Director in 2015, since when he has successfully helped the Group to not only cement its place as the leading foodservice buying group in the UK & Ireland but ensure it remains head and shoulders above the competition.

Marketing Update

Emma Holden, Head of Marketing, Country Range Group
A CRG team member since 2012, Emma is responsible for the strategy and execution of all areas of Group marketing, including the development of the Country Range brand, events and digital transformation of assets and support tools provided to members and customers.

Emma’s department are our eyes and ears, bringing industry insight and food trend information to our buyers and members and sharing this with customers through the Stir it up publications. Emma also works with branded suppliers to create bespoke marketing plans to increase sales and brand awareness across the Country Range Group membership.

Keynote presentation: Make Allergy History

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBEs (both)
We co-founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in 2019 following the inquest into the death of our fifteen-year-old daughter Natasha.

The charity’s mission is to ‘Make Allergy History’. We are bringing about positive change for the three million people living in the UK with diagnosed food allergies by focusing on funding medical research, campaigning for law and policies that empower and save allergic lives, and by educating and raising allergy awareness in society. Our greatest passion is to give people living with allergies real hope for a safer future and a platform to be heard.

It is too late for Natasha, but there are many people just her – living with life threatening food allergies. We want to ensure their needs are met in a meaningful way and to positively impact allergic lives.