For the latest instalment in IFE’s Buyer Insights series, we speak with James Rhodes, Senior Buyer at Charlie Bigham’s, one of the UK’s best-known premium prepared meal brands. With more than a decade of procurement experience and four years at Bigham’s, James now oversees the Meat and Fresh Produce categories. In this interview, he shares how the business maintains its high sourcing standards, the challenges of balancing quality with commercial pressures, and why sustainability and supplier partnerships are central to Bigham’s approach.

Could you tell us a bit about your role at Charlie Bigham’s and what categories you oversee?

I’m a Senior Buyer at Charlie Bigham’s, where I’ve been for four years. I currently look after the Meat and Fresh Produce categories. My role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring we source the best ingredients to maintain our premium positioning. Before moving into these categories, I initially joined Bigham’s as a Packaging Buyer where I had around 10 years of previous experience.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same as anyone in Procurement would know, but generally, my day involves a mix of supplier engagement, reviewing market trends, and working closely with our NFD (New Food Development) and technical teams. There’s also a strong focus on problem-solving—whether that’s addressing supply challenges or finding innovative ways to improve cost efficiency without compromising quality.

How would you describe the approach to sourcing at Charlie Bigham’s? What principles guide your buying decisions?

Our sourcing approach is built around quality, reliability, and collaboration. We aim to work with suppliers who share our commitment to exceptional standards and ethical practices. Decisions are guided by taste, source, and sustainability—every ingredient must meet certain criteria for freshness and flavour, whilst aligning with our values around responsible sourcing.

What are some of the key challenges you face when sourcing ingredients or packaging for prepared meals?

One of the biggest challenges is balancing availability and consistency with the high standards we set. For meat and fresh produce, seasonality and market volatility can impact pricing and supply. For packaging, sustainability requirements, regulations and innovation pressures add complexity. Managing these challenges while maintaining cost control and premium quality is a constant balancing act.

How do you work with suppliers to maintain quality, consistency, and ethical standards across your categories?

We take a partnership approach—building long-term relationships rather than transactional ones. This means regular audits, open communication, and joint problem-solving. We also collaborate on innovation and sustainability initiatives, ensuring suppliers are aligned with our ethical sourcing policies and quality benchmarks.

How do sustainability considerations influence your work?

Sustainability is embedded in everything we do, we’re proud of our B Corp status and have recently signed up to the SBTi (Science based targets initiative) so it’s critical that we act on our pledge. The considerations apply across all ingredients and packaging, for meat and produce, it means sourcing from farms with strong animal welfare and environmental practices. We also look at internal and external carbon footprints and work with suppliers to improve traceability and reduce waste.

What trends or shifts are you seeing in the market that are influencing how you buy or source products?

I think a topic that is being spoken about more and more is around avoiding and removing UPFs, this is something that has always been at the core of Charlie Bigham’s meals and we are constantly reviewing ingredients that can be improved. Consumers are also increasingly focused on welfare and ethical credentials, so we’re working hard to ensure transparency and traceability.

When you’re considering a new supplier, what makes them stand out to you?

A supplier stands out when they demonstrate quality, integrity, responsibility and shared values. Innovation and responsiveness are also key; we want suppliers to act fast and work with us closely to form a reliable partnership.

How do you balance commercial pressures with Bigham’s focus on premium quality?

It’s about negotiation, prioritisation and creativity. We never compromise on quality, so we try to look for efficiencies elsewhere, whether that’s through Procurement, Operations, Supply Chain etc. we work together to minimise any commercial pressure. Building strong supplier partnerships also helps us navigate cost pressures ensuring we always pay a fair market price.

What do you most enjoy about your role and working within the procurement side of the food industry?

I love the variety and the impact—every decision we make directly influences the product that reaches the consumer. Working with passionate colleagues and seeing ideas come to life on shelf is incredibly rewarding. Procurement in food is fast-paced and constantly evolving, which keeps the role exciting and challenging. Getting to eat a lot of food isn’t too bad either although you do need a lot of self-discipline!