In the Kitchen with… Anthony Choi

The Compleat Food Group has a long-standing track record in foodservice, crafting delicious food that is enjoyed across a wide range of outlets from coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, to entertainment outlets and travel operators.  

We’re also trusted by leading wholesalers such as Brakes, Bidfood, and Bako to supply a variety of tasty savoury pastries, sweet treats, and more.  

So, who’s leading the charge? One of our latest recruits: Anthony Choi! 

In our latest In the Kitchen, we catch up with Anthony, our senior commercial manager, to find out more about the person behind the role. 

What attracted you to a career in food?  

I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in a family rooted in two vibrant cultures and cuisines – my mother being from Greece, and my dad from Hong Kong. This blend of East and West meant our family kitchen was always buzzing with authentic, nostalgic flavours of slow-cooked stews and sizzling stir fries from ‘back home’. Our mealtimes were a celebration of heritage, a fusion of the two sides of my family, where soy sauce met olive oil, and dumplings happily shared the table with dolmades. I learned from a young age that food wasn’t just for nourishment, it was for connection, culture and comfort. 

At 16, I landed a job working on my friend’s food stall and worked in an ice cream van in the summer holidays at sports arenas, country shows and music events up and down the country. This is when I started to realise that simple food, in the right setting, is hugely valuable.   

Tell us about your job role. 

I’m the senior commercial manager for wholesale at The Compleat Food Group. In my role, I not only manage the commercial relationships and development plans for some of our largest wholesale customers, but I also lead the team responsible for driving business performance and strategic growth across all our foodservice wholesale partners. 

What does a typical day look like?  

While no two days are ever the same in my role, one thing that stays consistent is the strong connection I maintain with colleagues across the business. Collaboration is a big part of what I do, and it’s something I genuinely enjoy. 

A big chunk of my time is spent creating product briefs, which is one of my favourite parts of the job because it gives me the chance to get creative and think about what will really excite our customers. On the more operational side, I’m also involved in driving key business initiatives with the team, all aimed at boosting sales and building even stronger relationships with our wholesale partners. 

Beyond the day-to-day, I also support consumer-facing events like trade shows and national conferences. Travelling around the country to showcase what we do best and help bring our mission of delivering ‘food to feel good’ to life. 

What’s your favourite Compleat product?  

A few favourites stand out!  The Wrights Chicken Balti Pie is a true classic, but I also love Vadasz Kimchi – it’s a taste sensation. 

What do you love the most about your job?  

 One of the things I really love about being part of Compleat is how tailored our approach is. We don’t just offer great products, we craft them specifically to meet the needs of different channels, customers, and even changing consumer demands across the foodservice world. 

What’s more exciting is the scale of our ambition. With the capabilities we have across multiple sites, we’re in a strong position to be recognised as true cross-category experts. By not limiting ourselves to just one area, we can make an impact right across the foodservice landscape. 

What would surprise people about The Compleat Food Group?  

Just in foodservice in the last year we’ve sold over 7 million sausage rolls of varying sizes in the UK – that’s over 19,000 sausage rolls consumed every single day. And if you laid out each of those sausage rolls from our manufacturing site in Crewe you could reach Cornwall and back, covering over just-about 600 miles!  

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work? 

Outside of work, I’m kept incredibly busy by my wonderful family. My wife and I are the proud parents of three girls, Amieka, who’s six, and our twins, Evelyn and Gigi, who are 22 months old. Keeping them entertained is a fulltime job in itself! 

Between gymnastics, drawing club, ballet, tap, rhythmic dance, and swimming, our schedule is always packed. We do make sure to carve out time for park visits and family movie nights, which is always a nice way to unwind together. 

I’m a big football fan, and a lifelong fan of Arsenal (for my sins), I still play competitive football in the Essex Veteran’s League. It’s hard on the knees now, but it’s always great fun! 

Want to get to know more of our colleagues on the foodservice team? Grab a cuppa, and let us introduce you to James Whitbourn, Howard Edwards and Helen Bowyer.