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A fast-growing food wholesaler has taken a leaf out of Tesco’s book and launched a cost-busting price check promise scheme.

Customers of Harlech Foodservice can save 14% as part of the new Harlech 50 price comparison initiative that benchmarks prices of top-selling products against goods from industry giant Booker.

Bosses at Harlech, which has bases in Cricieth in North Wales, Chester, Carmarthen, Merthyr Tydfil and Telford, say the aim is to help businesses struggling to cope with soaring costs brought on by National Insurance and wage increases.

Harlech Foodservice’s head of purchasing Josie Swift said being so transparent on price would disrupt the way the wholesale market normally works.

She said: “Harlech 50 compares 50 of our best-selling products with the biggest player in the market, Booker.

“It gives a transparent price so our customers can see that every week we are checking our prices against Booker.

“We have seen what Tesco do with Aldi in comparing prices in the retail sector.

“Harlech 50 gives a sense of security to customers who will know that when they shop, they will get a good price, there’s no cloak and daggers.

“Every Monday we compare our prices to Booker and then we will publish the figures and all the details on our website – every code we’ve compared and every price match we’ve compared.

“We want to make it really simple for customers so they didn’t feel like they were having to work it out themselves or have to work out how they can see the prices, it’s nice and clear.”

Josie said a price comparison check for the week of March 17 showed Harlech Foodservice customers would save up to an overall 14% on the 50 products compared to the prices given by Booker – and that figure will change week on week.

She said: “The figure will depend on how the prices are that week and we are going to be totally honest with our customers every week on those 50 products.

“We are not going to change them to make ourselves look the best, we are just going to be honest that that is our pricing on those products.

“Everything is so accessible and people just want to know an honest price.

“This is about helping our customers, making sure they know we appreciate their loyalty and we want things to remain simple for them and they remain excited about what we are going to put out next.”

Josie said the move was the latest initiative by the company as it looked to expand its operations and continue to provide great customer care.

She said: “Our customers don’t want to have to go and have a conversation with a sales rep, negotiate on 5p and think they’ve got a good deal, and then see the next sales rep and realise they haven’t got a good deal.

“All that is hard work and for most of our customers their business is their life, they are working 60 or 80-hour weeks, they can’t be having negotiations with every company that walks through the door.”

Josie said the transparency provided by the Harlech 50 scheme would help customers make important choices as they faced increased costs, especially from the rise in National Insurance contributions.

She said: “The staffing costs are going to be the biggest costs for almost everyone we serve.

“National Insurance going up is going to hit every one of our customers, so any way we can make it easier to try and navigate this, we will do.

“Customers don’t know what their staff turnover is going to be like, they don’t know how many people they are going to have to employ this summer, especially our seasonal sector, but it all has an extra cost to it now.

“So if we can keep something consistent, and that’s our pricing of food, then we are helping in some way.”

The firm has launched an innovative new rewards app to help customers cope with the cost of living crisis.

The My Harlech loyalty app was unveiled at Harlech’s annual two-day trade fair Expo 25 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

The app rewards customers with a rebate of up to 10 per cent on what they spend with Harlech Foodservice each year.

Josie said the firm was delighted with customers’ response to the new app.

She said: “The response to the app from customers was really positive.

“They like that they don’t have to jump over any hurdles to get the app, it’s totally free.

“It allows them to track their spending with us, so it’s brilliant for them because they know exactly how much their business is spending and how much they are getting back at the end of the year.

And as it battles to ensure its customers keep their costs down, Harlech has also unveiled its latest version of its Trust Our Prices campaign, with more than 400 prices locked down for three months until June 7.

The Trust Our Prices scheme gives customers the certainty they need as they plan their menus for the coming months.

The initiative has been very successful since it launched in 2023 and it covers hundreds of staple products, from rolls to burgers, that customers buy every week and it guarantees that those prices will be locked in for three months.

Josie said: “The Trust Our Prices scheme helps customers to know exactly what they are going to make over the next three months which, at a time when National Insurance and everything is going up, is what they need.

“They need a flat price rate where they know they won’t look at their next invoice and see the price went up and they weren’t told about it.”