In the Kitchen with… Howard Edwards

At The Compleat Food Group, we have a diverse team with people from all walks of life. We’ve been catching up with members of our foodservice division to learn more about their roles, the division and what attracted them to a career in the food industry.  

We supply food to a range of different foodservice outlets from coffee shops to restaurants, wholesalers and even airlines. We couldn’t do this without our brilliant team that creates and nurtures our new and existing client relationships to make sure our customers are receiving the best service as well as the best products. In this edition of ‘In the kitchen with…’ we caught up with one of our team members that does exactly this… 

Meet Howard Edwards, senior national account manager. 

What attracted you to a career in food?  

“Family holidays growing up consisted of driving off the beaten track across the UK and Europe and experiencing all types of cuisine. From an early age my parents owned a country pub, which provided an insight into life in the kitchen along with the value of hospitality in the centre of a community.  

“My upbringing gave me a passion for food and led me to a career as a chef across some of the best fine-dining and Michelin star kitchens in the North West, including The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and The Sticky Walnut Group. The knowledge I learned from these roles opened development chef opportunities in food manufacturing, where I created products across both retail and foodservice. 

“When The Compleat Food Group acquired the Wrights business in 2021 the opportunity to move into the commercial sphere became available, allowing me to combine my knowledge of food, development and factory capabilities with the bonus of being in a customer facing role.” 

Explain your job in a couple of sentences… 

“I’m the senior national account manager for foodservice end user customers, which includes a wide range of pubs, bars and restaurants. I work across savoury pastry, sweet bakery and ready meals that come from our Crewe site. We work with customers to develop own label products that are specifically designed for their needs in terms of demographic, cooking platforms and flavour profiles. 

“As the group has expanded, the breadth of products available has grown, so we work very closely as a commercial team in foodservice to ensure our customers are getting the widest selection of relevant products as possible.” 

What does a typical day look like?  

“I like to get to the gym first thing in the morning, to get the day started right! Then it’s straight onto emails and finalising any preparations for customer and internal meetings. Managing the diary is super important as one day may be in the office, the next showcasing NPD to customers, such as our latest seasonal product, Wrights’ Chicken & Chorizo Pie and the following at a trade show, like BP’s Annual Exhibition.” 

What’s your favourite Compleat product? 

“There are some fantastic products in our unearthed range. I love the cured meats, olives and Spanish omelettes – they make the ultimate ‘picky tea’! When I’m craving something sweet, I will happily indulge in a Wrights cream cake, especially the Black Forest muffin with a brew.”  

What do you love most about your job?  

“The best part of the job is interacting with people and getting to act as a spokesperson for the group and support our customers. It’s a great motivator being able to discuss new products with a customer and then see the whole process through to launch. I also love the culture of teamwork at Compleat and being part of a community that wants to get the job done to a high standard.” 

What would surprise people about The Compleat Food Group?  

“The breadth and depth of our products and capabilities. When Wrights was bought by The Compleat Food Group, customers were familiar with Wrights pies and our savoury slices and sweet bakery offerings. Nowadays, our offering is so much greater than that, spanning across olives, antipasti, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based products.” 

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

“I love to be outside with the family on the bikes, skiing down mountains or paddling in lakes – generally creating adventures for my three daughters wherever I can. Having been a chef for a large portion of my career, food is always central to what we’re doing and it’s normally a family affair, creating something savoury or sweet in the kitchen for everyone to enjoy.”  

To learn more about the Compleat Foodservice, find us on LinkedIn here.