Outstanding young professionals from across the UK’s food and drink wholesale sector have been recognised at the 2026 Wholesale Star Awards

Held at the Houses of Parliament on 7 July, the awards brought together MPs, wholesale businesses and suppliers to celebrate individuals at every stage of their careers, from those taking their first steps into wholesale to the experienced leaders developing the industry’s future talent.

With this year’s theme, Delivering the UK’s Next Generation of Food Leaders, the awards also shone a spotlight on wholesale as a career of choice. At a time when skills, workforce development and supporting more young people into employment are high on the political agenda, the event highlighted the sector’s role in creating rewarding careers and developing the talent needed for the future food and drink supply chain.

The awards featured three categories, recognising young and emerging talent alongside the businesses committed to investing in this area. The Rising Star Award recognised young people in the early stages of their careers who were already making a significant impact. The Emerging Leader Award celebrated individuals demonstrating initiative, leadership and commitment within their businesses, alongside their participation in FWD’s Future Leaders Forum. The Leadership Impact Award recognised businesses that had demonstrated an outstanding commitment to developing people and skills through the Wholesale Futures Fund, FWD’s match-funded training programme.

Winners were selected from across the FWD membership, including wholesalers Bidfood and Bestway Wholesale, and supplier members Carlsberg Britvic and Red Bull.

The Awards were presented by the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Daniel Zeichner MP, Chair of FWD’s Food Resilience Commission. Baroness Warsi gave a keynote address at the event. MPs from the winners’ constituencies were also in attendance.

This year’s winners were:

Rising Star Award

• Ross McMullan, Warehouse Team Leader at Henderson Foodservice
• Cathryn Peake, Key Account Specialist at Savona Foodservice
• Evie Roddy, Depot Service Manager at Bidfood
• Eleanor May Redfern, Project Co-Ordinator at Bestway Wholesale
• Megan Denise Laidler, Contracts Manager at Bestway Wholesale
• Saif Ali, Graduate Trainee at Bestway Wholesale
• Chloe Megan, Deputy Store Manager at Bestway Retail
• Beth Macdonald, Finance Graduate at Sysco
• Alfie Goodman, Factory Operative at Bidfresh
• Ben Tomlinson, National Account Manager at Carlsberg Britvic

Emerging Leader Award

• Lauren Bryce, National Account Manager at Red Bull
• Nic Mynott, Commercial Lead at Lumina Intelligence
• Zara Heathcote, Commercial Team Lead at DCS Group
• Gemma Smith, National Account Executive at Lakeland Dairies
• Eleanor Pugh, Caterforce

Leadership Impact Award

• Justine McGreevey, People Development and Academy Manager at Henderson Wholesale
• Lucy Goddard, People Director at Pricecheck
• Lucy Roberts, Talent and Engagement Advisor at Pricecheck
• Gill Parks, Head of HR at Savona
• Kelly Williams, Managing Director at Savona

James Bielby, CEO of FWD, said: “Today’s winners are proof that wholesale offers exciting careers with real opportunities to develop and progress. Nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 across the UK are not in education, employment or training. We believe every young person has something valuable to contribute, and as our outstanding young leaders have demonstrated today, the wholesale sector can provide a pathway into employment and a rewarding long-term career. It was fantastic to celebrate the achievements of talented individuals from across our industry, and we look forward to continuing our work to ensure wholesale plays a leading role in creating rewarding career opportunities for young people across the country.”

Speaking at the Awards, Baroness Warsi said: “I was delighted to speak at FWD’s Wholesale Star Awards. Having spent much of my career in business, I know successful organisations are built by their people. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many outstanding young professionals who are helping to shape the future of the wholesale sector and the wider food supply chain.”

The Wholesale Star Awards form part of FWD’s commitment to attracting, developing and retaining the next generation of talent, helping ensure the wholesale sector remains resilient and equipped for future growth.