WIREDGOV

Katie Ford, Procurement Officer within ESPO's Food and Catering team, talks through the things to consider before reaching out to one of our suppliers on Framework 83, Ambient, Chilled, Frozen Foods and Fresh Fruit, Vegetables and Salads. This includes your food requirements and what information they will need from you to ensure you get the most out of your food supply contract.

It's helpful to have some key information ready – this preparation not only makes the process of setting up a new supplier quicker and smoother, but also helps ensure you get exactly what you need.

Products required

It’s a good idea to pull together a list of the products you know you’ll need. This doesn’t have to be exhaustive – you could shortlist your most frequently purchased items or anything you expect to buy over the next 12 months.

Suppliers will usually offer customers their full catalogue range, but starting with a focused list makes things much more manageable and easier to strike the right balance between getting the correct products and achieving value for money.

Volumes

Suppliers like to see the volumes purchased for each of the product’s lines, preferably over the last 12 months. This gives them a clear picture of what you need, the expected volumes, how this will affect their stocked lines, and an indication of your overall contract value.

You should be able to get product and volume data from a few sources: your current online ordering system, a series of invoices, or most easily, directly from your current supplier(s). Just ask for a 12-month consolidated list of the products and volumes you've purchased, ideally in an editable format like Excel.

If you operate across multiple sites, they can usually run the report per site, giving you a tailored view of what each site has ordered and an opportunity to review the products being bought across all sites. You may find your sites are buying different variations of the same type of product with a variety of pricing; by aligning these and working with the supplier, you can set up an approved buying list meaning volumes are combined, possible savings can be made, and you can gain control of the products being purchased with a better view of overall spend.

Brands

You might currently be buying a branded product - but do you really need that specific brand? If you're open to alternatives that still meet your specifications and pass consumer taste tests, you could unlock better value. Switching to a different brand might offer a lower price and lead to demonstrating significant savings, especially if it’s something you buy in large volumes.

Deliveries

It's crucial suppliers understand your delivery requirements to ensure they can meet your needs:

• What are the addresses to deliver to?
• How frequently are deliveries required?
• Are there any delivery constraints such as specific timeslots or access challenges – small entry roads, limited turning circles or local traffic/parking difficulties which could cause delay?

This information is key to allow the suppliers to identify which of their depots is closest to your site(s) and most suitable to be allocated for your deliveries. It also allows them to plan around your preferred delivery days and times, while fitting into their existing routes – ideally in the most sustainable way possible (no need to send out an extra vehicle!)

Suppliers are always keen to work with new customers, but sometimes turn down opportunities if they know they can’t meet strict delivery requirements. For example, a request for a delivery every Monday between 8:00–8:30am might not be realistic if traffic regularly causes delays. Rather than risk failing to meet your expectations, they may choose to walk away from the business.

While you can’t change any physical restrictions of your site, being as flexible as possible with delivery days and times can make a huge difference in securing a supplier who can meet your needs reliably and efficiently, while also helping to reduce unnecessary carbon emissions.

Added value

Our framework suppliers’ main job is to deliver your required goods; however, they can also offer a wide range of additional support and value, including (but not limited to):

• Product guidance and support
• Information on new products
• Assistance with menu planning and recipe ideas, including arranging for manufacturers to come to your site and provide cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions and introduce new recipe ideas
• Assistance with special diets, allergens and meeting nutritional standards
• Supply of electronic/hard copy product specifications, either via an online system or integration with menu and allergen planning software
• Online ordering or support with integration to your own online ordering systems
• Supply of a range of management information reports to include KPIs, sales values, product volumes, etc.
• Support with achieving/maintaining Food for Life awards
• Assistance and support with marketing campaigns and events
• Support with social value

Framework 83 went live on 1 August 2025 and is split into 4 Lots as below:

• Lot 1 – Ambient, Fresh and Chilled Foods
• Lot 2 – Frozen Foods 
• Lot 3 – Ambient, Fresh, Chilled and Frozen Foods (Combined Requirement)
• Lot 4 – Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, and Salads

The framework features 27 suppliers, 52% of which are classed as small and medium enterprises providing broad coverage across the UK. 

Securing the right food supplier doesn’t have to be complicated. By sharing key details early on, and accessing our framework’s pre-agreed terms, you can quickly secure a trusted supplier who can offer great value for money.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the Ambient, Chilled, Frozen Foods and Fresh Fruit, Vegetables and Salads framework (83), please get in touch with our Food & Catering team on 0116 294 4008 or food@espo.org.