Bosses at Fairway Foodservice, a buying group for 17 wholesalers across Europe, knew they were getting a top man when they hired Q Catering managing director Roger Snelling to the board last month.

There is not much the ex-Harvey Grammar schoolboy has not seen during his 35 years in the business of buying and selling food.

After beginning his career as a driver for Dover Ship Stores in 1979, he eventually became the boss of Cavendish Ship Stores in Hadlow, near Tonbridge.

He left in 2003 to set up Q Catering, launching the firm with five colleagues from his former employer.

They started the business with £100,000 of capital and a £100,000 loan secured against Mr Snelling’s house.

Today, his company is taking sales of £7 million a year and employs 35 people, distributing food across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Last year it completed a 6,000sq ft extension to its depot in Sittingbourne to grow its frozen-food business.

Mr Snelling said: “We are where we want to be. We will keep it growing, but it is a competitive industry.”

Now he has to combine running his firm with his duties on the board of Fairway Foodservice, which allows its members to combine their resources ­to offer lower prices to potential clients.

It helps them compete with national catering competitors like 3663 and Brakes, based in Ashford, as well as Kent Frozen Foods, based in Aylesford.

He tries to buy local where possible, with suppliers including Kent Crisps and Korker Sausages in Rolvenden, but must also supply brands from Heinz, Nestle and other national players, which many customers demand.

He said: “You have to offer something local as well as a price product. If your customer is a sandwich bar in Maidstone which sells on the back of stocking local foods, then they will go for Kent foods.

“If it is a school in the cost sector, then they will go for the cheaper stuff. We will supply both.”

What are the big challenges in the food industry?

“The new rules regarding allergens in food mean we have to supply all our customers all the information about what the food contains across 2,500 products. It affects our labeling and what manufacturer we have to buy from. Over the last few years Fairway Foodservice has established a database for our customers to provide them with all this information.”

Why did you start your own business?

“My former employer Cavendish Ship Stores was a family-owned company and I worked there 24 years, but even as managing director I couldn’t influence the way I wanted the company to go. I felt the way they wanted to go wasn’t the right way, so that meant we parted. I felt the moves my old employer wanted to make were wrong strategically, but I don’t want to air my dirty washing out in public. It was my ambition to start up from scratch, but all the while I was in a job I didn’t want to take the risk. But I always thought I could do the job for myself.”

How did you find launching a business?

“It was daunting. I found it tough. I had experience and a good team which I had taken with me. Five of us set it up from the old firm and I knew I could rely on them. However, this is a capital-intensive business and to get things rolling with inadequate capital was not the easiest thing to do.
“We overcame it by starting off slower than we wanted to. Otherwise we would have had to release more shares. The first couple of years were a hard slog and I didn’t take a salary. I couldn’t afford it. I just maxed out credit cards.”

How do you stand out from your competitors?

“We have to set ourselves apart with a quality product, transparent prices and fantastic customer service. If the people we are delivering to are certain they will receive their goods in the correct fashion, they can divert their energy on to their business. If you make sure the supply line to a customer is guaranteed, then your customer can do well, too. Our pricing has to be competitive and the product has to be a decent quality.”

What is your top management tip?

“You can’t do it all yourself. It is a question of putting good people into the correct job. Don’t try to do too much. You have to let other people manage in the way they want to, otherwise you can’t grow.”

CV

Born: 19/2/1957

Birthplace: Maidstone

Live: Littlebourne

Family: Married with three grown-up step children

School: His father was a policeman and he moved several times growing up, attending Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone, Maidstone Grammar School and Chatham House Grammar School in Ramsgate.

First job: Van driver suppling cross-Channel ferries

First salary: £50 a week

Car: Audi Q5

Film: Top Gun

Music: The Clash and The Jam

Gadget: Mobile

Last holiday: Cyprus

Charity: Demelza House

Typical day

Roger Snelling normally arrives at work at about 9am. His days are filled up “making sure everything is running alright”.

He deals in all aspects of the business. He leaves between 7pm and 7.30pm and dedicates the last two hours of each day for thinking time “when everyone else has gone home”.