Alan Guindi Richard Hochfeld

Alan Guindi, managing director of Richard Hochfeld

Have you heard the one about the fresh produce MD?

As well as heading up leading Tesco top-fruit and table grape supplier Richard Hochfeld, one of Alan Guindi’s favourite pastimes is performing stand-up comedy. Clips of Guindi in action are available on YouTube, not that he needs an introduction to most people in this industry.

The family is steeped in fresh produce, as Guindi’s father was a shareholder in Richard Hochfeld, until he and Wilfred Hochfeld – son of the founder – sold their shares to a French co-operative in 1989, before Guindi and his business partner Jon Jones took full control of the business three years ago. Guindi’s brother, Chris, is also a current shareholder, while the siblings’ cousins run Caithness Potatoes.

With Richard Hochfeld expecting to post a turnover of around £150 million this year, three times what it was recording a few years ago, Guindi has helped the business become one of the UK’s major fresh produce players.

As to how he’s achieved this, Guindi tells FPJ: “There was a big drive at Tesco, with PGS, which grew into Group Food Sourcing (GFS), as they started buying directly. We felt threatened by that, and so we went to Tesco offering service provision for those companies they bought their products from. That then evolved into the agency model we have with them today.” As a result, Richard Hochfeld is now among the biggest suppliers of English top fruit to the UK’s largest supermarket.

Tesco’s tribulations have received much coverage over the last 18 months, but Guindi is a big fan of chief executive Dave Lewis: “I love him,” he matter of factly responds when asked about the former Unilever stalwart. He adds: “He’s been to see us, and he’s just been a breath of fresh air. Jason Tarry [chief product officer at Tesco] too, and the pair of them are making a huge difference there. They are very conscious of growers’ needs.”

That willingness to fully support growers financially – allowing them to plan and invest for the long term – has occasionally been in short supply in recent times due to the ongoing price war being fought by the UK’s leading supermarkets, which has seen some growers’ profit margins taking a hefty cut.

Such a race into the gutter on price has stemmed from the rise of the hard discounters, chiefly Aldi and Lidl, with the big four scrambling around to compete with matching or lower price points. While Guindi believes that the likes of Asda and Morrisons are right to keep tabs on what the discounters are doing, he adds: “I’m a big believer in not allowing the tail to wag the dog - rowing one’s own boat is always the best policy.”

Given the nature of his business as an importer, and the related need to keep the pound as stable as possible, Guindi is one of many in this industry who fully backs the Bremain campaign. In fact, he quips: “There should be an intelligence test to see if you should be allowed to vote in the referendum - but you’d fail the test if you were going to vote no.”

A pro-European outcome from the UK going to the polls on 23 June could help Richard Hochfeld lay the foundations for continued success. Across the industry, though, Guindi says that he expects to see further consolidation in terms of suppliers and service providers to UK retailers: “The goal is finding the most economic value supply chains and the right models,” he adds.

One of the things Richard Hochfeld is working to achieve in the short term, meanwhile, is providing a fresher product to the end consumer. As for the long term, Guindi says: “I would like to see us in a position in future where we are doing 100 per cent of Tesco’s grape and top-fruit capacity. And maybe even a third or fourth line for them too.”

Given the key role Richard Hochfeld plays in supplying one of the world’s largest businesses with two of its key products, this stated aim probably won’t prove to be a pipe dream. Riding the crest of a wave, the joke certainly isn’t on Guindi and the family firm.

Alan Guindi facts

- Born in Egypt

- Of Egyptian, Irish, French and Lebanese descent

- Moved to South Yorkshire and then London as a child

- Previously worked for PMD Perishables, SGT and Briess & Co.

- Started writing for comediansabout eight years ago

Richard Hochfeld facts

- Founded in 1936

- Started out importing Sicilian oranges

- One of the first firms to import from Chile to the UK

- Became Tesco-dedicated six years ago

- Sells imported and homegrown fruit to Tesco

- Also offers service provision to the retailer

- Imports citrus and Iceberg lettuce for wholesalers