Cotswold Fayre strengthens team with three new appointments

Fine food distributor Cotswold Fayre has announced the appointment of three new starters to its team.

Veteran FMCG professional Lawrence Moore has taken on the new role of sales director, allowing chief executive Paul Hargreaves to spend more time on expanding the business elsewhere.

Moore brings experience of working with brands including Britvic, Red Bull and Belvoir to the business.

He said: “Cotswold Fayre’s values have a strong alignment with my own passion for CSR. The company has a strong moral compass and is a business with heart. I’m joining at a time of high growth, which makes it a really exciting career move.

“Having worked with the team as a supplier at Belvoir, I can see the business from both sides, and it’s a real beacon for purposeful business within the SME sector, while making a tangible difference too. To be part of the B Corp movement, that’s so much bigger, is hugely exciting – and we certainly have some bold plans up our sleeves!”

In a newly created e-commerce manager role, Faye Foot aims to build on the success of the company’s ecommerce site while looking at options to enhance its offering.

She commented: “This role … will include making data driven decisions by monitoring the customer journey online to improve the overall user experience. From website audits, to using technology to drive towards a bigger goal, Cotswold Fayre is such an exciting company to join, and it’s great to feel so empowered to make a real difference!”

Laura Strapp joins the team as ambient buyer, with a career spanning buying for Safeway, Budgens and online garden retailer Primrose.

“It’s a really interesting time to be a buyer and I just love the fast pace of it all.  This role means that I’m always learning, developing relationships and meeting supplier needs,” she said.

“I’ve always really enjoyed sourcing new suppliers, and as part of a small team with big ambitions at Cotswold Fayre we can move really quickly and cut out a lot of red tape.  I’ll be looking for gaps in our current portfolio and looking to expand our range.  For example, home baking has proven extremely popular since lockdown, and there’s a real opportunity to supply more great brands, who are already in demand”.