106 | Matt more than happy at Gilmours Sue Russell Matt Humphrey “It’s a great place to be supplying services to, with outstanding restaurants and cafes delivering their customers really fine food, of the highest quality, across a wide range of cuisines. We’re fortunate to have the ability to supply just about anything anyone in the sector wants.” Gilmours Wellington HOSPITAILTYY Since 2016, Matt & Jo Humphrey have been at the helm of Gilmours Wellington, based in Petone. Matt says one of the great things he enjoys about running this food-centric business is the whole vibe of the Wellington scene. “It’s a great place to be supplying services to, with outstanding restaurants and cafes delivering their customers really fine food, of the highest quality, across a wide range of cuisines. “We’re fortunate to have the ability to supply just about anything anyone in the sector wants,” says Matt. With 14 trucks delivering almost every day to customers, Gilmours Wellington services all of Wellington, the Hutt, up the Kapiti Coast through to Waikanae, the Wairarapa and Carterton. Every day is different for Matt and the team of over 100, something he says keeps the workload interesting and sometimes challenging. “It is incredibly satisfying though when the team pulls together and we succeed in delivering on our customers’ changing needs” “We don’t know what customers are going to order from one day to the next and we have worked really hard to build on our mission of ‘trust and partnership’, especially through the difficulties that COVID brought.” When Matt talks about ‘partnership’ he is really meaning the fostering of long-term relationships with his customers, to help add value to and grow their Foodservice business. In fact that’s his priority, rather than just having more and more customers, its retaining them and building on those relationships in the future that matters. Gilmours Wellington is one of seven, independently owned and operated stores nationwide and Matt says it’s that balance of being totally independent, yet part of a large NZ organisation, namely Foodstuffs, that provides a unique and powerful combination. “Each Gilmours store will be different, because each focuses on what its customers want which varies from region to region.” One focus for Matt, and something he enjoys, is trying to identify long term risks and opportunities. “Have we got the right range of products, the right number of trucks, and the best delivery scheduling in place to make sure we are able to meet our customers’ future needs. “I also really enjoy getting involved in day to day operations. With Covid-19, there was a significant drop in work, given the sector Gilmours supplies pretty much closed down overnight. During this time, Matt worked closely with Kapura, a large Wellington hospitality business, who had transformed their business to supply food parcels to Wellington’s needy. “Through Covid-19 lockdown, their team engaged with the Ministry of Social Development to deliver over 220,000 meals and over 35,000 grocery boxes to thousands of Wellingtonians in need.” Matt says, the experience of getting on board with the project was humbling and very satisfying for his team. Since the restrictions lifted, a time Matt says where his customers were desperate to resume business things have settled down. “It was a mad scramble in those early reopening days, but we managed to consistently deliver and meet our customers’ needs.” Through his association with the wider Foodstuffs group Matt says he has access to over 100,000 products. He’s also proud of the fact that he has several long-term employees with more than 20 year’s experience on the floor and that he is able to offer University students and the like part-time work. “There are a number of career paths that mean you can progress all the way up to store ownership if that is your goal.” With the busy Christmas and holiday period comes additional demand and Matt and the team only close Christmas Day to keep up pace with their customers, who this year in particular, are hoping to further bounce back from the challenges 2020 has brought. Succeed Legal is a fresh, modern, Wellington-based law firm providing services to: • businesses; • trusts and trustees; • individuals and their families; • and community organisations. We are experts in business structuring and business-related transactions, trusts, estate and succession planning, relationship property, buying and selling property, wills, enduring powers of attorney and estate administration. Phone 04 909 3740 contact us. hello@succeedlegal.co.nz succeedlegal.co.nz SUPPORTING WELLINGTON’S FINEST
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