Business Development Manager
1 day ago
Ruislip
We're hiring a Business Development Manager to help grow one of the most exciting seafood businesses in UK foodservice. 🐟 A varied, field-based role with real autonomy: contract catering, travel, and the next wave of fast-growing restaurant groups. If you're entrepreneurial, know good food, and want your work to actually move the needle in a growing SME, then let's talk! Business Development Manager – Contract Catering, Travel & Emerging Groups Location: Field-based (with regular time at our office in South Ruislip, London) · About the role We're a growing seafood supplier serving some of the most exciting names in UK foodservice, and we're investing in our commercial team to match our ambition. As an independent, owner-led business, we move quickly, trust our people to make decisions, and value initiative over hierarchy. You'll have the freedom to run your channels like they're your own. This is a brand-new field sales role with genuine breadth: you'll develop long-term partnerships with contract caterers and travel operators while winning and growing the next generation of branded restaurant groups. It's a deliberately varied role with two rhythms. One side is considered, relationship-led business development in contract catering and travel, where the best opportunities are won over months, not days. The other is faster-paced new business with independent and founder-led, fast-growing restaurant concepts — the kind that start with a few sites and scale quickly. If you enjoy both the long game and the thrill of an early win, you'll thrive here. What you'll do • Build and grow a pipeline of new business across contract catering (profit sector), travel (rail, air, motorway services and venues) and emerging multi-site restaurant groups., • Develop relationships with buyers, procurement teams and executive chefs, positioning us well ahead of tender and review windows., • Lead tender responses, pricing proposals and supply submissions, working closely with our operations team on product specification and capability., • Win existing small groups from month one and new branded groups as they emerge; support them as they scale across new regions., • Manage the launch of new contracts and listings end to end — specs, onboarding and logistics — so every account starts strongly., • Manage your territory and pipeline with discipline, keeping our CRM accurate and your forecasting honest., • Grow and retain an existing base of accounts, increasing range and value over time. What you'll bring • Around 3–5 years in field sales, account management or business development — ideally in foodservice, hospitality, FMCG or a closely associated sector., • A genuine feel for food and the people who buy and serve it; equally comfortable talking to an independent restaurateur and presenting to a large procurement team., • The patience and organisation to nurture longer sales cycles, alongside the drive to chase and close new business from day one., • Strong communication and writing skills, particularly for proposals and tenders., • Strong numerical skills supported by an understanding of relevant systems such as CRM, Excel pricing models, Power BI and Product / Order Management systems., • A confident, self-directed approach to managing your own territory, and comfort using a CRM to plan and prioritise., • Ability to learn a new category quickly and speak with authority on a diverse product range., • An entrepreneurial, self-starting mindset — you enjoy the freedom and variety of a smaller business, but bring the skills to help us build the best processes to grow, keeping the voice of the customer central as we scale up., • A full UK driving licence. Why join us This is a chance to shape a role from the ground up in a business that's growing fast and promoting from within. As an SME, we offer something the big suppliers can't: real autonomy, direct access to decision-makers, and the variety of a role where no two days look the same. If you're entrepreneurial, like to spot an opportunity and run at it, and want your work to genuinely move the needle, you'll fit right in. We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds. If you're excited by the role but don't tick every box, we'd still love to hear from you.