DELICE DE FRANCE
WHY A SLICE OF DELICE KEEPS ON GIVING
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DELICE DE FRANCE
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I PROFILE
Delice de France has continued to thrive as the UK’s largest independent distributor of bakery goods. With a booming order book, the company is planning a significant investment in its facilities: increasing its vehicle fleet and nudging its way to becoming a producer of fantastic-tasting food. Andy Probert sat down with CEO Thierry Cacaly to discover more about the company, which is on the cusp of 40 years of trading and a £100 million turnover.
luxuries supplied by Delice de France
T
the adoption of a new ERP system that
shows no signs of abating as the UK’s
has quickly become the company’s back-
largest independent bakery distributor con-
bone. “We also launched a new e-shop,
tinues to grow.
which helped us attract more orders and
he UK public’s appetite for affordable
“We have been in the right spot at the right time,” CEO Thierry Cacaly reflected. “Our business plans continue to revolve around
One milestone of recent times has been
made it easier to connect with clients,” Mr Cacaly added. This shift to ordering online compared
thinking creatively, from increasing the
to traditional telesales amounted to a £60
product range to stocking our trucks better.
difference per spend. “This opened our
All these activities have converged to result
eyes,” Mr Cacaly said. “We intend to make it
in a very positive business performance.”
more engaging for clients, who are mostly
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DELICE DE FRANCE
I PROFILE
corporate and from the tech-savvy, younger generation. The digital revolution is on: more people are ordering online, and we intend to take full advantage.”
£100 million milestone Delice de France has also switched focus to four specific channels – retail convenience, hospitality, contract catering and wholesale/innovations - where its teams have a deeper understanding of each and can provide greater added-value services to the clients. “While we are primarily a B2B business in the foodservice-convenience sector, we have never been into the larger retail sector,” Mr Cacaly said. “However, we are testing a range of self-branded Delice de France bake-at-home morning goods with Tesco Ireland, and it is evolving well. It is all about projecting the brand for the long term. “That said, Delice de France celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. While 2023 will see us top £80 million in turnover, we are intent on climbing that £100 million milestone in the next 5 years. “Covid has exacerbated the entrepreneurial spirit and we have quickly grasped that opportunity. We did the right things at the right time, and quickly re-positioned the business and continued building momentum. “We are now contemplating going into production of bakery products as evidenced by our project in Ireland. It will be a change, but will help cement our position as a market leader in the UK industry.”
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Comes with added bite
lines which it supplied to more than
Launched in a small coffee shop in West
9,000 clients in the UK. These included
London by forward-looking French chef
food service and retail convenience
Phillippe Signolet, Delice de France
channels, such as coffee shops, restau-
became a national distributor of frozen
rants, hotels, food courts, contract
bakery products.
caterers and leisure.
By 1999, it was owned by global bakery
Delice de France employs 300 people
player ARYZTA and swallowed up in the
and has distribution hubs in London and
organisation’s corporate structure.
the West Midlands for frozen food prod-
However, in 2019 Delice De France
ucts. It also has five satellite units across
became independent again following
the UK, enabling 10 million palletised units
a management buyout led by Mr Cacaly.
to be distributed annually.
By 2021, the bakery specialist, in
The move to independence has enabled
adopting ARYZTA’s UK assets and
the company to embrace true innovation
customer base, had nearly 1,000 product
and quality across all product types, which
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DELICE DE FRANCE
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the UK market demands. All its products are
frozen gelato. It also works with high-end
bought from huge bakeries, and it is
partner Coup de Pates, providing an
renowned for genuine products.
extensive range of semi-prepared,
The company’s chef and marketing
mouth-watering reception delights.
teams launched Baked by Delice, a brand
On the vegan front, alongside its vegan
enabling Delice to deliver freshly baked
cakes and sweet treats, its award-winning
delicious products daily, wrapped or
vegan sausage roll remains top of the menu
unwrapped and distributed within the
within both convenience retail and foodser-
M25 or as a frozen thaw and serve option
vice sectors. Delice de France has also
for national distribution.
launched a new chilled range of sandwich
Other branded developments included
fillers, including cheese, ham and bacon.
Delice to Go, the company’s modular retail proposition covering all-day parts with
Moving forward
classic viennoiserie, hot food-to-go, sweet
“Another milestone has been shifting our
and savoury snacks, and a range of deli
vehicles from providing completely frozen
sandwiches – prepacked and freshly
products to a frozen and chilled products’
made onsite.
operation,” Mr Cacaly added. “This has
It also provides beverage partners Seattle’s Best Coffee for a rich and smooth comprehensive coffee and hot
been quite a revolution for us and helped to bring lovely creations to the trade. “We have developed new technology
beverage solution in convenience retail
with a route metrics system to offer
and petrol forecourts.
the most efficient way to deliver to
With Projuice, the company offers customers healthy shakes, smoothies and
48 Inside food & drink
our customers and improve our carbon footprint.”
The company has been highly active
strength, and we pro-
in trade conferences in London and
vide more business to
Birmingham, plus in focused shows on retail
hotels across the UK. We also
convenience and at universities. “It is essen-
support innovative artisan
tial to put the brand out there and continue
coffee shops.”
the momentum by showing our innovation
The primary challenge is keeping pace with
potential,” Mr Cacaly said. “We produced our
business growth through product innovation
first catalogue for summer, offering 50 new
and infrastructure investment. Delice will
products, such as bread ranges, pastries
spend £4 million to make its London ware-
and desserts.
house more efficient and sustainable, while
“We are also launching a winter TOP UP with 40 new products. We essentially act as the gateway for our suppliers to thousands of clients nationwide.”
£250,000 will be invested in upgrading its West Midlands facility. According to Mr Cacaly, the company’s transport fleet could be expanded by
A well-known Korean concept called
another 30 vehicles when it achieves its
Paris Baguette, a French-style bakery,
£100 million target. It is also tackling its
has opened in London and has developed
Scope one and two carbon emissions
a high-end patisserie line in partnership
and engaging with its supply chain on
with Delice.
Scope three.
“It is pushing the quality up all the time, with
“All these activities have been achieved by
the products being the best of the best and
our amazing team,” he concluded. “I would
tasting beautiful,” Mr Cacaly said. “We see
like to say a massive ‘thank you’ for their
catering contractors going from strength to
wholehearted support.”
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