What Brakes Foodservice does

Brakes Foodservice (legally Sysco GB Limited) is a UK-based wholesale food and drink distributor that has operated in the foodservice industry since 1960 and was acquired by Sysco, the world's largest foodservice distributor, in 2016. The company describes itself as 'the UK's leading wholesale food supplier' and serves B2B customers across ten dedicated sector verticals: Pubs, Hotels, Restaurants, Care Homes, Coffee Shops, Education, Business & Industry, QSR, Hospitals, and Travel & Leisure.

Its core product offering spans fresh produce, fresh meat and poultry, a 'New food' line of innovation products, curated food concepts, a specialized Café Collection, dietary/lifestyle ranges (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Halal, Kosher), and seasonal lines such as Christmas. Beyond physical product, Brakes provides value-added services including allergen and nutritional compliance support, Inspirational Food content (recipes, menu support, food trends, publications) and online business tools such as a Party Calculator and a Gross Profit Calculator. The supporting technology is an e-commerce online ordering platform with account management, order history, favourites, and sector-specific product recommendations.

Revenue is generated through wholesale food and drink product sales to foodservice operators via transactional pricing with volume-based discounts and promotional offers, including a current new-customer incentive of 10% cashback over 10 weeks. The go-to-market is a direct B2B model combining the online ordering platform with a direct field sales force organised around sector-specific Customer Hubs staffed by market experts, technical advisors, and category buying teams. Multi-channel marketing (website, news/blog, social media, and content hubs) supports customer acquisition and engagement, while the award-winning own-brand portfolio (e.g., 2025 CCM Chefs' Own-Brand Awards, Grocer National Wholesaler of the Year 2025, Quality Food Awards Foodservice Operator 2025-2026) reinforces supplier positioning in the UK market.

Name

Brakes Foodservice

Legal name

Sysco GB Limited

Website

https://brake.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brakes Foodservice (Sysco GB Limited) is a UK wholesale food and drink distributor serving ten B2B foodservice verticals — including pubs, hotels, restaurants, care homes, coffee shops, education, QSR, hospitals, and travel & leisure — through an e-commerce ordering platform and dedicated sector Customer Hubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food and drink product sales: Wholesale food and drink distribution to foodservice businesses. Revenue generated through product sales with transactional pricing, volume-based discounts, and promotional offers including cashback programs for new customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brakes Foodservice is a UK wholesale food and drink distributor supplying foodservice businesses across pubs, hotels, restaurants, care homes, coffee shops, education, business & industry, QSR, hospitals, and travel & leisure. The company operates a direct-to-customer e-commerce ordering platform complemented by field sales teams and sector-specific Customer Hubs that provide tailored product ranges, menu support, allergen/nutritional guidance, and value-added tools such as party and gross profit calculators.

Product overview

Brakes Foodservice operates as a single unified wholesale food distribution platform serving UK foodservice businesses. The offering consists of a comprehensive range of food and drink products organized by category (fresh produce, fresh meat and poultry, new food, food concepts, café collection, and seasonal items like Christmas), complemented by value-added services including allergen and nutritional guidance, inspirational food content with recipes and menu support, and business tools such as party and gross profit calculators. The company also provides sector-specific support through dedicated customer hubs for various industries including pubs, hotels, restaurants, care homes, coffee shops, education, business and industry, quick service restaurants, hospitals, and travel and leisure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Produce Wholesale fresh fruit, vegetable, and seasonal produce offerings for foodservice businesses across the UK.
• Fresh Meat and Poultry Premium fresh meat and poultry products supplied to catering and foodservice operations.
• Café Collection Specialised product range for coffee shops, including coffee beans, milks, syrups, pastries, cakes, brunch ingredients, and eco-friendly packaging.
• Vegan, Dietary & Lifestyle Products Wholesale vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Halal, Kosher, and other dietary and lifestyle food options for foodservice operators.
• Seasonal & Special Occasion Products Seasonal food offerings for occasions such as Christmas and other celebrations, supplied to foodservice businesses.
• New Food & Food Concepts Curated new and innovative food products, concept collections, and menu ideas added to the Brakes range for foodservice operators.
• Sector-Specific Customer Hubs Dedicated sector hubs providing specialist food, drink, and consumable ranges plus guidance for pubs, hotels, restaurants, care homes, coffee shops, education, business & industry, QSR, hospitals, and travel & leisure operators.
• Allergen and Nutritional Support Information, guidance, and product data to help foodservice businesses comply with allergen and nutritional legislation and regulations.
• Inspirational Food Content Recipes, menu support, food trends, new product launches, and publications designed to support and inspire foodservice operators.
• Business Calculators (Party & Gross Profit) Online tools that help foodservice customers calculate party food and drink requirements and gross profit margins for menu planning.

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brakes-foodservice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brakes Foodservice