Birmingham MP visits Aston branch!

Updated: 8 May, 2024

Updated: 26 February, 2024

We were delighted to welcome MP for Birmingham Ladywood Shabana Mahmood to our Aston branch last week, to support her mission to promote and develop Birmingham’s future economy.

Group General Manager Terry Larkin (pictured left) and Deputy Branch Manager Ruhel (pictured centre) Ahmed gave Ms Mahmood (far right) a tour of the 30,000 sq. ft. Aston site, which employs 56 staff and supports 3000 caterers in the Birmingham area.

Ms Mahmood has a background in wholesale with one of her first jobs visiting cash & carries with her father who owned a convenience store. “I am a great fan of wholesale,” she said.

The MP has launched an investigation into businesses into Birmingham to see what more can be done to support jobs and skills in the city, ahead of Birmingham’s first directly-elected Mayor next year. “Food has a great place in the story of Birmingham,” she said, adding that there was great scope to develop opportunities around food exports in the city.

Group general manager Terry Larkin said JJ was very proud of its ability to look at future trends and adapting the business accordingly. “Our focus is on our independent customers, helping them to develop their business, particularly with technology and the move to online ordering,” he said.

Healthier Catering

Mr Larkin highlighted the work JJ has done to promote healthier eating options in London and said the wholesaler would be keen to work with Ms Mahmood to extend its Healthier Eating initiative to Birmingham. Ms Mahmood said she would work to promote the initiative with Birmingham’s new mayor next year.

The National Living Wage and the soft drinks levy were also highlighted as key issues, with a potential increase in sales on the fraudulent market of particular concern.

The information shared by JJ Food Service and FWD will be used in Ms Mahmood’s report on Birmingham’s future economy, as well as informing her work in Parliament.

Read the full story here: http://www.wholesalenews.co.uk/news/birmingham-mp-vists-jj-food-services-aston-branch.html

#LadywoodShabanaMahmoodJJFoodServiceAstonTerryLarkinFWDJamesBielby