Fresho’s £8m series A accelerates UK and US expansion plans to make food supply chains more sustainable

Fresho, a company that aims to make food supply chains more sustainable between restaurants and their suppliers, has whet the appetite of investors with a recent capital raising of £8 million.

More than 38,000 foodservice venues across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States to choose exact quantities for their needs, much like an online shopping experience but specifically tailored to the fast paced B2B food industry. More than £700 million processed through the platform annually. Fresho’s user base consists of restaurants, hotels, hospitals, cafes, schools, farm shops, QSRs and independent retailers.

Buyers see live prices and specials, allowing for informed product choices and assistance in food cost management. Suppliers receive the order immediately in an easy-to-use dashboard, which reduces data entry, errors and helps them fulfil orders without delay. The real time sales data enables suppliers to manage purchasing more efficiently and eliminates wastage before it becomes an issue. See how it works here.

Fresho co-founder and Managing Director James Andronis commented: “This capital raise will enable us to accelerate our growth in the United Kingdom and a strong launch into the United States. Like our other markets, restaurants and suppliers in the US are itching to be more progressive but still working with antiquated processes such as email, phone calls, WhatsApp and even the old fax machine. B2B food supply chains are changing at a rapid rate around the world with an increased focus on efficiency and lowering waste. We understand the industry and our tech solves key pain points for these businesses. The adoption of tech is speeding up and it’s fascinating to watch the industry progress at such a fast pace.”

In London, a number of iconic venues place orders with Fresho. These include Michelin star rated restaurant Wild Honey within Sofitel St James, Polpo, 1 Lombard Street, and the Bingham Riverhouse.

The Head Chef at Wild Honey, Gergely Csaba, is one such chef ordering through Fresho, commented: “Since taking over as Head Chef at Sofitel St James, i’ve transitioned into using Fresho. I am very specific about every bit of produce I buy, so I was nervous at first. However, Fresho makes it so easy for me to customise what I order so I get exactly what I need, when I want it.”

This collection of hospitality venues are serviced by Fresho’s customer base of food suppliers and wholesalers. One example is Southampton based owner of major food wholesaler Adams Wholesale, Ali Ahmet, who has seen the benefits of moving his ordering online with Fresho. “Finally after 12 years of trying to develop or buy a usable online system, we met the Fresho people and got what we always wanted. Our customers can now order and pay online – it’s super simple to use and has saved us heaps of time and money already. In only a couple of months, 60% or more of my customers are now ordering on Fresho which is amazing really. We started from nothing and now we’re a £20M business – with Fresho we’re all set to grow even faster now. Fresho is exactly what I thought it would be – it’s the best piece of software we’ve ever worked with.”