- Musgrave MarketPlace is investing significantly in its On-Trade beverage category with a clear ambition to become the leading On-Trade supplier to the Irish market.
- Musgrave MarketPlace will significantly expand its alcohol range by 34% to 382 total alcohol and soft drink lines by September 2021 – new lines include 65 new on-trade Wines and 10 new Beer and Cider lines.
Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to foodservice, retail and SME businesses, today announced the appointment of Ken Allan as its new Head of Beverage alongside the hiring of 13 experienced On-Trade beverage sales colleagues. This significant expansion of the On-Trade beverage team is part of Musgrave MarketPlace’s plans to increase the number of On-Trade beverage customers it services from 45% of the market, to become the leading On-Trade supplier to the Irish market.
Today’s announcement follows recent news that Musgrave MarketPlace will expand its On-Trade alcohol range by 34% to 382 total beverage lines by September 2021. The new alcohol lines will include 75 new Wines, Beers and Ciders, with 40% of the range being produced in Ireland.
Musgrave MarketPlace has an extensive product range in all key beverage categories with a particularly strong representation in Super Premium Spirits and World Beers. With its dedicated On-Trade beverage sales and delivery team offering 382 On-Trade beverage products from local Musgrave MarketPlace branches across the country, customers won’t find better choice or service anywhere else.
Musgrave MarketPlace’s new Head of Beverage, Ken Allan, has over 17 years’ experience in the On-Trade. Before joining Musgrave MarketPlace, he worked in senior roles with Diageo Ireland, Diageo Africa and Brandhouse South Africa before being appointed MD of Counterpoint in Ireland. He then returned to South Africa to lead KWV Wines & Spirits before being appointed as Head of Beverage at Musgrave MarketPlace. Speaking on his appointment and the new additions to the Musgrave MarketPlace On-Trade Beverage team, Head of Beverage at Musgrave MarketPlace, Ken Allan, said:
“It has been a difficult 18 months for the industry which has created unimaginable hardships for our business community across the country. As we now begin to emerge from heavy restrictions placed on our industry, we will work with customers to help them reboot their business with our improved On-Trade alcohol and soft drinks offering. My focus as Head of Beverage will be to continue the successful growth of our On-Trade beverage offering and to use my experience to guide our talented team to help our customers capitalise on the opportunities ahead.”
To ensure Musgrave MarketPlace can deliver its expanded alcohol and soft drink lines Monday-Friday, 08:00-17:00, they have invested in new trucks and recruited drivers across their nationwide branch network to form part of the dedicated team to service On-Trade customers. For their convenience, Musgrave MarketPlace customers will now also be able to get a top up shop using their account in their local Musgrave MarketPlace branch, which will be open 7 days a week from 6th June.
Speaking on the appointment of Ken Allan and the Musgrave Group ambition to become the leading on-trade supplier in the Irish market, Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners said:
"I am delighted to welcome Ken to the Musgrave MarketPlace team alongside the 13 new members of the On-Trade Beverage sales team. These appointments all bring a wealth of sector experience and knowledge to the business that will be pivotal to achieving our ambition of becoming the leading On-Trade beverage supplier in the Irish market. To do this, we are recruiting the right people, significantly expanding our product range and investing in our delivery fleet to ensure continuity of service.”
“As an Irish family-owned business with 145 years of experience supplying Irish food and beverage businesses, we pride ourselves on the quality service our team provides to customers. Our unrivalled product range and unmatched delivery options ensure the right products reach our customers exactly when they need them. We’re Ireland’s leading wholesaler with a world class food and beverage offering and we are here to support Irish On-Trade business as they remerge from an extremely difficult period.”
