CATERING INSIGHT INTERVIEW: BGL Rieber MD on dealer plans, structural changes and future direction

After recently taking over as managing director of the front cooking and food transport specialist, Jon Walker discusses what the partner and growth agenda looks like under his leadership.

BGL Rieber’s recently-appointed managing director Jon Walker has a clear plan to steer the company through its next chapter of growth – and distributors are very much part of the equation.

You recently took over as managing director – tell us about the transition that has taken place and to what extent has that involved Gareth Newton given many in the industry will have only ever known Gareth’s leadership of the company?

BGL Rieber has thrived under Gareth’s leadership. Gareth and I shared the same vision for its future, and the handover has been taking place gently over the last year or so to ensure a seamless transition and maintain the continuity of our operations. I have worked closely with Gareth for 27 years, mainly as the commercial director, so I understand the business strategy well. BGL Rieber is a small, close-knit company, and we work as a team.

We have all pulled together to make the transition work, though it has to be said that Gareth is a big personality, and we are sad and happy at the same time as he steps back from the day-to-day running of the business into semi-retirement.

How have you found the step-up so far, and what have you made your main priorities?

Learning new skill-sets can be challenging, but I have been the commercial director for many years. My key focus has been maintaining stability and continuing to drive the business forward.

Have there been any other structural changes at the business?

Yes, there have been several structural changes at BGL Rieber. Another BGL Rieber veteran, Sally Brierley, has become the new commercial director, bringing her wealth of experience to the role. We also have new faces on the sales team. Joe Gunstone has taken over from Jeff Fishlock, who retired last year, and James Wells-French has come in to develop the areas of digital and connected products.

We also welcomed new regional sales managers last year, with the appointments of Gary Nicholl in Scotland and Ian Smith, based in Wakefield. These changes reflect our commitment to growth and innovation.

Do you expect the direction of the company to change under your leadership?

Under my leadership, we will continue to meet market challenges as they present themselves. BGL Rieber is blessed with strong brands, an extensive product range, an effective business strategy, and a great team of highly experienced people. Our future direction will focus on leveraging these strengths to maintain our position as a key industry supplier and explore new growth and development opportunities.

What insight can you give into your partner model in the UK?

Our key priorities include maintaining and strengthening relationships with our key distributor partners. We also have an open-door policy to distributors via consortia groups such as ENSE and Cedabond. We offer full support to assist distributor partners. Whatever sector they are keen to work in, our broad product range, combined with our expertise and product knowledge, can help them develop new sales markets.

Would you say that some of your products are more conducive to dealer sales than others?

Yes, BGL Rieber has an extensive product range, and we are looking to develop further key strategic distributor partnerships to unlock more of the potential in our product portfolio. For example, the Rieber front cooking solutions, our range of connected products, including the K-Pot, and the eatTAINABLE reusable containers, are all hugely promising areas ripe for joint development.

And, given that the industry’s labour shortages and energy costs are challenging how kitchens operate, this is also the perfect time to work with distributors on our labour-saving bulk cooking solutions. Cooking kettles are coming back into fashion, and that process will be accelerated as more distributors begin to promote their versatility and economy. BGL Rieber has a comprehensive line-up of kettles, and we also have the only round self-stirring bratt pan on the market, the innovative Metos MixPan.

Do you feel any of your product areas provide ‘untapped’ opportunity for dealers? If so, which ones?

The market is vast and varied. Growth areas include ‘pop-up theatre-style grab-and-go offers’, where our ACS/Varithek and K-Pot products are hugely successful. We are also seeing a big increase in interest and demand for connected and digital product solutions and sustainable and reusable products such as Check HACCP, Check Trace, and eatTAINABLE reusables.

What does the future look like in terms of the product range and portfolio?

Equipment flexibility and longevity continue to be key as we move into a digitally connected world. There are fantastic opportunities for our partners and sustainable benefits for our end-user customers.

Connectivity has been a key theme for you in recent years. To what extent is that being embraced by customers?

Connected products simplify and streamline processes whilst reducing expensive costs such as labour. Due to the twin pressures of increasing costs and lack of labour, everyone is now looking at how they can provide their services more efficiently.

What’s in the portfolio?

BGL Rieber’s key product range includes food transportation, distribution, front cooking, and serving equipment. Brands include Thermoport and Rieber Varithek. BGL Rieber also partners with distributors to develop opportunities for the Metos range of bulk cooking equipment, which has applications across the catering market. Rieber’s range of eatTAINABLE reusable food containers, introduced to the market in 2024, is another example of its high-quality, innovative and highly flexible product range.

The company is keen to develop opportunities for the distributor market through products such as the Rieber K-Pot electric chafing dish and its front cooking systems. K-Pot is a simple, highly efficient electric chafing dish that heats evenly and has precise temperature control. However, it is also available with additional cooking functionality and can regenerate gastronorms of ready meals from chilled or frozen to a set time or act as a hob to fry up bacon and eggs.