Latest news with #Harlech
South Wales Guardian
13-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Harlech Foodservice one of UK's best places to work
Harlech Foodservice, which has a base in Carmarthen, earned a spot on The Sunday Times' 2025 list of the best employers. The company operates across south west Wales, including Pembrokeshire. Laura Griffiths, Harlech's key account manager, said: "I started with Harlech in February last year and the company being family-owned was one of the reasons I joined. "In the time I have been here for example I have had a promotion. "I came in as a business development manager and then had my promotion in April this year. "I think that strategy of promoting from within is one of the reasons why Harlech was listed in the Sunday Times as one of the best places to work." The Sunday Times described Harlech Foodservice as a business that 'cares passionately about the morale of its 245-strong workforce,' noting that 20 per cent of employees were promoted internally last year. The company also offers staff discounts, a pension scheme, a cycle-to-work programme, a wellbeing scheme and a Christmas hamper. David Cattrall, managing director, said: "I am chuffed to bits quite honestly. "We have been driving sales growth in the last couple of years and to make it happen we knew the first thing we had to do was invest in our people, and strengthen our people from top to bottom." He said the company's family-owned roots remain central to its identity. Mr Cattrall said: "What we try to maintain as we grow is that small business feeling where everybody knows each other. "We want people to be able to speak to each other, it's that small family feel that we are trying to maintain. "We don't want to lose that informality you get in a small business." He said the company prioritises promoting staff from within. Mr Cattrall said: "I'm very keen on making sure that new opportunities are offered to people within the company first, so they can grow and prosper." The Sunday Times recognition comes just months after Harlech was named best UK food wholesaler by The Caterer magazine. Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, said: "The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is the UK's biggest survey of employee engagement, compiled in partnership with workplace expert WorkL. "These organisations know that happy employees are the superpower helping them thrive."
Western Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Harlech Foodservice one of UK's best places to work
Harlech Foodservice, which has a base in Carmarthen, earned a spot on The Sunday Times' 2025 list of the best employers. The company operates across south west Wales, including Pembrokeshire. Laura Griffiths, Harlech's key account manager, said: "I started with Harlech in February last year and the company being family-owned was one of the reasons I joined. "In the time I have been here for example I have had a promotion. "I came in as a business development manager and then had my promotion in April this year. "I think that strategy of promoting from within is one of the reasons why Harlech was listed in the Sunday Times as one of the best places to work." The Sunday Times described Harlech Foodservice as a business that 'cares passionately about the morale of its 245-strong workforce,' noting that 20 per cent of employees were promoted internally last year. The company also offers staff discounts, a pension scheme, a cycle-to-work programme, a wellbeing scheme and a Christmas hamper. David Cattrall, managing director, said: "I am chuffed to bits quite honestly. "We have been driving sales growth in the last couple of years and to make it happen we knew the first thing we had to do was invest in our people, and strengthen our people from top to bottom." He said the company's family-owned roots remain central to its identity. Mr Cattrall said: "What we try to maintain as we grow is that small business feeling where everybody knows each other. "We want people to be able to speak to each other, it's that small family feel that we are trying to maintain. "We don't want to lose that informality you get in a small business." He said the company prioritises promoting staff from within. Mr Cattrall said: "I'm very keen on making sure that new opportunities are offered to people within the company first, so they can grow and prosper." The Sunday Times recognition comes just months after Harlech was named best UK food wholesaler by The Caterer magazine. Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, said: "The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is the UK's biggest survey of employee engagement, compiled in partnership with workplace expert WorkL. "These organisations know that happy employees are the superpower helping them thrive."
Business News Wales
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Food Wholesaler Named One of the Best Places to Work in the UK
A food wholesaler that 'cares passionately' about its workers has been named as one of the best places to work in the UK. Harlech Foodservice, which has bases in Criccieth, Chester, Carmarthen, Aberbargoed, and Telford, has been included in the Sunday Times list of the best employers in 2025. Harlech was also recently crowned by The Caterer magazine as the best wholesaler in the UK. The Sunday Times judges said: 'This family-owned catering supplier cares passionately about the morale of its 245-strong workforce. Teamwork is encouraged by management and this is felt key to the company's wider success. 'Colleagues are motivated to have a say, making them feel valued, and last year almost 20 per cent were promoted from within the business. 'Benefits include staff discounts and a pension scheme, cycle-to-work, a wellbeing programme and a well-regarded Christmas hamper.' Staff said they agreed with the assessment that Harlech Foodservice was among the best places to work in the country. Morgan Jones, warehouse manager at the firm's headquarters near Criccieth, said the opportunity of long-term employment and training at the company meant many young people didn't have to move away from the area to find a satisfying career. Morgan joined the firm as a part-time van driver's assistant aged just 16 and 11 years later he now has a key role within the company's operations. He has bought a home in Nefyn, something he says he would have been unlikely to be able to afford if he hadn't been able to develop his career at Harlech Foodservice. 'I first joined when I was looking for a part-time summer job while I was still in school,' said Morgan. 'I went off to university but didn't like it all, the course or uni life, so came back. Harlech offered me a job when I came back, I took it, and things grew from there. 'I am not at all surprised Harlech has been named one of the best places to work. I've worked here since I was 16 so I clearly like working here. 'Promotion within the company has not just been possible, but strongly encouraged. 'It helps a lot that the company has been developing and growing so quickly, especially the last few years, which means we need the extra staff. 'The roles are coming up because the company is growing and the positions are being created, rather than someone leaving the business. 'The growth means there is path forward for the staff, there is a path upwards. 'Having a career in our neck of the woods is not very easy at all unfortunately. A lot of people my age have moved away from the area because they want a career. 'Everyone says it's a beautiful area, and we all have very strong roots here, very strong Welsh ties. 'But it reaches a point where, because of house prices for example, and you need a mortgage, that you need a well-paid job, one with career prospects. 'Unfortunately, there are just not that many well-paid careers around here, which is why companies such as Harlech are so important.' Managing director David Cattrall said the listing in the Sunday Times was great recognition for the firm. He said: 'I am chuffed to bits quite honestly. We have been driving sales growth in the last couple of years and to make it happen we knew the first thing we had to do was invest in our people, and strengthen our people from top to bottom. 'The fact that we have done that and a short time later we have been recognised on our first attempt when being measured by the Sunday Times and WorkL is terrific. 'The staff have fed back that we genuinely are a great place to work, so we are very pleased. It was the team that gave us the feedback and it is done anonymously.' David said one of the company's strengths was that it remained family-owned. He said: 'What we try to maintain as we grow is that small business feeling where everybody knows each other. We want people to be able to speak to each other, it's that small family feel that we are trying to maintain. We don't want to lose that informality you get in a small business. We also recognise from the feedback that we are doing a pretty good job on the whole but there's room to improve. What we are working on is what can we do better. 'I'm very keen on making sure that new opportunities are offered to people within the company first, so they can grow and prosper. 'We are really keen that we try to grow and develop our own people; that is our culture.'
Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
I have a splitting headache as DFS insist the sofa I ordered is BROWN – I think it's shiny silver but what do you see?
Veronica claims she was told to look at the sofa outside to see it's true colour THE HOT SEAT I have a splitting headache as DFS insist the sofa I ordered is BROWN – I think it's shiny silver but what do you see? A MUM claims to be left with a splitting headache after the 'brown' sofa she ordered has turned out to be 'shiny Tin Man silver.' Veronica Byrne has been left reeling over the colour but DFS, who she bought the sofa from, insist it's brown - so what do you see? Advertisement 3 Veronica has been left with a headache after her 'brown' sofa turned up Tin Man silver Credit: Kennedy News 3 She was unable to see the product in person before buying it Credit: Kennedy News 3 The sofa on the website appears more brown than what Veronica was sent but DFS say it's down to lighting Credit: Kennedy News She purchased two Harlech pillow back grande sofas and a footstool in the colour Chocolate Combination from the retail giant's Paisley, Renfrewshire, store back in February. But when the £4,513 furniture set arrived, Veronica said it was the wrong colour while delivery staff confirmed it was the colour she ordered. The business owner was urged to talk to the in-store staff, which she did. Veronica headed to the Paisley branch where she was told the sofa, which was advertised as having a 'metallic sheen', was the correct colour. Advertisement The 52-year-old claims he told her to take the fabric swatch outside the showroom and look at it in natural daylight to confirm it was the correct colour. Veronica, a manufacturing business owner, says her sofas, which have a 'strong chemical smell', don't match the in-store swatch or the online advert and are so bright they're giving her a headache. While she has now demanded a refund from the store, she claims DFS has only offered to take back the sofas - at a cost of £1,353. DFS said the 'perceived colour of an object can change depending on the light source within a room' and that the swatch matched her sofa 'perfectly'. Advertisement Veronica, from Paisley, Renfrewshire, said: "The sample in stock wasn't chocolate, the one I saw was cream. "I don't know if cream hides the sheen, or people have sat on it and touched it, but it doesn't look half as shiny as it does in store as it does in my house. Dunelm shoppers are scrambling to their local store and their 'massive sale' kicks off with posh glasses for 89p and £8 gadgets to keep the Spring chill out "I found it hard to decide what it was going to look like with a sample, so the girl said I could see it online. "I saw it on the iPad. I saw this photograph of a brown sofa so I said 'that'll be fine'. Advertisement I have a look at it every few days and think 'maybe I could live with it?' and then I go 'no'. Veronica Bryne "[When they were delivered] I immediately said 'I don't think this is right sofa lads, hold on because it's supposed to be chocolate' they checked the label and they said that it was. "A metallic sheen? I couldn't believe when they took it out of the packaging how shiny it was, it was like tin foil with a sheen of brown, rather than a chocolate sofa with a metallic sheen. "I've got huge covers over it to protect it. I have a look at it every few days and think 'maybe I could live with it?' and then I go 'no'. "You wouldn't believe how shiny it is, it's like the Tin Man. I can't believe anyone has chosen that sofa and not been surprised by how shiny it is. Advertisement "It's like a 3D shine, it's horrible looking and it also gives me a headache." The 'Chocolate Combination' sofa is described as being upholstered 'in plush, opulent velvet - a tufted fabric with a soft, smooth feel, a metallic sheen and a subtle grid pattern in the weave'. After going to the store to complain, Veronica said she was told by a staff member that to see the true colour of the swatch she'd need to go outside in natural daylight. Veronica said: "The member of staff I spoke to said 'let's take it outside and you'll see what the true colour is'. Advertisement "I said 'nobody sold me a sofa by telling me to go outside with the colours, if your showroom can't show the colours correctly then how can you have expected me to buy a sofa in good faith?' "I told him 'I can assure you I'm not keeping that sofa, it's like tin foil'." Veronica has contacted DFS in a bid to cancel the credit agreement and get the sofas removed. She claims the furniture giant has agreed to take them away, providing she pays £1,353. Veronica said: "I don't think the description is accurate, it's definitely misdescribed. Advertisement "If you look at the photograph it looks like a chocolate sofa - I like the colour on the website. "I want them to take away the sofas, I'd love it if they gave me the sofas that are on the internet. I just want what I was sold. "This is against my consumer rights, it's been mis-sold, it's not as described. "The fact the guy even said to me 'if you take this outside you'll see the same colour as it is in your house'. Why are the lights not showing what this colour is inside the store? Advertisement "Head office said I can return it if I pay 30% of the total cost. I'm now disputing the charge and have also done a Section 75 claim through the finance company." A DFS spokesman said: "At DFS we take customer service extremely seriously and we are sorry to hear of any occasion when a customer is disappointed with the colour of the sofa selected. "As the perceived colour of an object can change depending on the light source within a room, ranging from direct sunlight through to artificial light, the same sofa will look subtly different in every customer's home. "It is therefore the customer's responsibility to choose the right colour for their home and fabric swatches can be ordered before purchasing to help with this decision making process. Advertisement "The type of fabric selected also plays a role in how the product looks in someone's living space. In this instance, the body fabric of the sofa Ms Byrne chose is advertised as having a metallic sheen, which will reflect light differently depending on the direction of the light source in the room, and therefore affect the colour. "According to our records, and Ms Byrne's own account, she visited the store to view the sofa in person and she chose the Chocolate combination from the fabric swatch book for this range. "When she expressed her concern that the wrong colour had been delivered, we visited her home with the same fabric swatch book from the store, and confirmed a perfect match - the colour she ordered is the colour she received. "There was no manufacturing fault found and we're confident that the product is as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality, therefore it doesn't meet the right to reject criteria. Advertisement "Like Ms Byrne's order, the vast majority of our sofas are made-to-order and not stock based products. "Occasionally, customers may not like the sofas they have chosen, or have a change of heart once they're delivered, and in these instances we try to work with the customer to find a mutually beneficial resolution as a gesture of goodwill. "In this instance we have offered a reselection with a fee of 20% of the order cost. "This fee covers the cost of picking up the sofa, checking and processing the item back through our central distribution network, and the cost of selling the item at a reduced price within our clearance stock. Advertisement "This offer remains open and we would like to work with Ms Byrne to help her find a sofa more suitable for her home."
The Irish Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
I have a splitting headache as DFS insist the sofa I ordered is BROWN – I think it's shiny silver but what do you see?
A MUM claims to be left with a splitting headache after the 'brown' sofa she ordered has turned out to be 'shiny Tin Man silver.' Veronica Byrne has been left reeling over the colour but DFS, who she bought the sofa from, insist it's brown - so what do you see? 3 Veronica has been left with a headache after her 'brown' sofa turned up Tin Man silver Credit: Kennedy News 3 She was unable to see the product in person before buying it Credit: Kennedy News 3 The sofa on the website appears more brown than what Veronica was sent but DFS say it's down to lighting Credit: Kennedy News She purchased two Harlech pillow back grande sofas and a footstool in the colour Chocolate Combination from the retail giant's Paisley, Renfrewshire, store back in February. But when the £4,513 The business owner was urged to talk to the in-store staff, which she did. Veronica headed to the Paisley branch where she was told the sofa, which was advertised as having a 'metallic sheen', was the correct colour. READ MOR EON HOMES The 52-year-old claims he told her to take the fabric swatch outside the showroom and look at it in natural daylight to confirm it was the correct colour. Veronica, a manufacturing business owner, says her sofas, which have a 'strong chemical smell', don't match the in-store swatch or the online advert and are so bright they're giving her a headache. While she has now demanded a refund from the store, she claims DFS has only offered to take back the sofas - at a cost of £1,353. DFS said the 'perceived colour of an object can change depending on the light source within a room' and that the swatch matched her sofa 'perfectly'. Most read in Fabulous Veronica, from Paisley, Renfrewshire, said: "The sample in stock wasn't chocolate, the one I saw was cream. "I don't know if cream hides the sheen, or people have sat on it and touched it, but it doesn't look half as shiny as it does in store as it does in my house. Dunelm shoppers are scrambling to their local store and their 'massive sale' kicks off with posh glasses for 89p and £8 gadgets to keep the Spring chill out "I found it hard to decide what it was going to look like with a sample, so the girl said I could see it online. "I saw it on the iPad. I saw this photograph of a brown sofa so I said 'that'll be fine'. I have a look at it every few days and think 'maybe I could live with it?' and then I go 'no'. Veronica Bryne "[When they were delivered] I immediately said 'I don't think this is right sofa lads, hold on because it's supposed to be chocolate' they checked the label and they said that it was. "A metallic sheen? I couldn't believe when they took it out of the packaging how shiny it was, it was like tin foil with a sheen of brown, rather than a chocolate sofa with a metallic sheen. Interior Design expert advice Expert reveals Top Simple ways you can spruce up that lonely corner in your house The interior items to avoid that will make your house look cheap and tacky Interior designer's Expert advice to make your bedroom a relaxing environment for better sleep Make your Interior expert shares best ways to "I've got huge covers over it to protect it. I have a look at it every few days and think 'maybe I could live with it?' and then I go 'no'. "You wouldn't believe how shiny it is, it's like the Tin Man. I can't believe anyone has chosen that sofa and not been surprised by how shiny it is. "It's like a 3D shine, it's horrible looking and it also gives me a headache." The 'Chocolate Combination' sofa is described as being upholstered 'in plush, opulent velvet - a tufted fabric with a soft, smooth feel, a metallic sheen and a subtle grid pattern in the weave'. After going to the store to complain, Veronica said she was told by a staff member that to see the true colour of the swatch she'd need to go outside in natural daylight. Veronica said: "The member of staff I spoke to said 'let's take it outside and you'll see what the true colour is'. "I said 'nobody sold me a sofa by telling me to go outside with the colours, if your showroom can't show the colours correctly then how can you have expected me to buy a sofa in good faith?' "I told him 'I can assure you I'm not keeping that sofa, it's like tin foil'." Veronica has contacted DFS in a bid to cancel the credit agreement and get the sofas removed. She claims the furniture giant has agreed to take them away, providing she pays £1,353. Veronica said: "I don't think the description is accurate, it's definitely misdescribed. "If you look at the photograph it looks like a chocolate sofa - I like the colour on the website. "I want them to take away the sofas, I'd love it if they gave me the sofas that are on the internet. I just want what I was sold. "This is against my consumer rights, it's been mis-sold, it's not as described. "The fact the guy even said to me 'if you take this outside you'll see the same colour as it is in your house'. Why are the lights not showing what this colour is inside the store? "Head office said I can return it if I pay 30% of the total cost. I'm now disputing the charge and have also done a Section 75 claim through the finance company." A DFS spokesman said: "At DFS we take customer service extremely seriously and we are sorry to hear of any occasion when a customer is disappointed with the colour of the sofa selected. "As the perceived colour of an object can change depending on the light source within a room, ranging from direct sunlight through to artificial light, the same sofa will look subtly different in every customer's home. "It is therefore the customer's responsibility to choose the right colour for their home and fabric swatches can be ordered before purchasing to help with this decision making process. "The type of fabric selected also plays a role in how the product looks in someone's living space. In this instance, the body fabric of the sofa Ms Byrne chose is advertised as having a metallic sheen, which will reflect light differently depending on the direction of the light source in the room, and therefore affect the colour. "According to our records, and Ms Byrne's own account, she visited the store to view the sofa in person and she chose the Chocolate combination from the fabric swatch book for this range. "When she expressed her concern that the wrong colour had been delivered, we visited her home with the same fabric swatch book from the store, and confirmed a perfect match - the colour she ordered is the colour she received. "There was no manufacturing fault found and we're confident that the product is as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality, therefore it doesn't meet the right to reject criteria. "Like Ms Byrne's order, the vast majority of our sofas are made-to-order and not stock based products. "Occasionally, customers may not like the sofas they have chosen, or have a change of heart once they're delivered, and in these instances we try to work with the customer to find a mutually beneficial resolution as a gesture of goodwill. "In this instance we have offered a reselection with a fee of 20% of the order cost. "This fee covers the cost of picking up the sofa, checking and processing the item back through our central distribution network, and the cost of selling the item at a reduced price within our clearance stock. "This offer remains open and we would like to work with Ms Byrne to help her find a sofa more suitable for her home."
