About Connect Purchasing
Purchasing is our passion; Value is our strength
Connect Purchasing is part of the Connect group, a family run and growing business, operating for
over three decades.
Connect Purchasing was established in 2013 to specifically help businesses
purchase better and provide maximum saving opportunities to its clients. Since our inception, we have helped numerous businesses save money every day.
Using our knowledge and expertise, we work with leading suppliers including; wholesalers, fresh food suppliers, butchery and fish suppliers, catering equipment providers and other specialist suppliers such as utilities companies. Our multitude of service offering enables our client’s significant choice in all that we offer and we will never compromise on quality over costs
Our people are Connect Purchasing.
Our team at Connect Purchasing have a lot of knowledge and experience that we believe is unrivalled in what we do.
As a dynamic and continually growing business, we benefit from new skills, ideas and innovations. Through our internal processes and people development, we ensure that our team have the skills and tools to deliver the service you require.
Our team is part of the Connect Group who has been consistently recognised in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For. As a group, we achieved 1st place nationally in 2019 and 2nd place in 2020 - something that we are extremely proud of.
Kate Bendall
Director
Kate Bendall is the MD of Connect Purchasing and oversees the teams performance. Working with the team is just really enjoyable, as they are all driven to do the best for our clients and prospective clients, at the end of the day, Connect Purchasing has a good straight forward solution to save money, keep the quality and service high.
Kate has overseen the business since its inception, along with being involved with Connect Catering for 30 years’ starting work as a chef, in operations, in sales; working up through the company is now its joint MD.
Kate is a through and through foody. Enjoys making it, eating new things and just loves scrummy food; not forgetting socialising with friends and family. Her two young boys, hubby and dog, keep her busy too!
Chris Rose
Head of Sales & Purchasing
Having previously had 20 years experience working in consumables markets, he understands the importance of finding the perfect balance between supplier capability, quality and price.
Chris is a born problem solver and loves encouraging the team at connect to always challenge themselves and flourish in what is a competitive and ever changing market place. “Every single thing we do as a team has the customers best interests in mind” he says. “I believe that’s our difference.”
When he’s not busy saving customers oodles of money, Chris is an aspiring and enthusiastic (but distinctly average) piano player who loves spending as much time as possible with family and two children and sometimes, (very sometimes) the gym :
Megan Oliver
Supply Chain and Operations Manager
Megan Oliver brings a wealth of supplier expertise and excellence, having worked as a buyer at Fortnum & Mason plc for 9 years previously. Megan was once the Confectionery buyer at Fortnum’s, labelled by the Telegraph Magazine as “possibly the best job in the world”, but gave it all up to come and work for us at Connect Purchasing.
As our Supply Chain & Operations Manager, Megan negotiates all our prices with suppliers and manages relations with them. Megan is also your ‘go to’ person for any supplier queries you may have and loves to problem-solve.
Megan is currently studying for a degree in Nutritional Science. Any spare time is spent at home with her children and walking in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Carly Fearn
Account Manager
With over a decade of experience in the FMCG industry, Carly’s career has incorporated working in the retail and hospitality sector as well as account management roles across grocery, convenience, and wholesale customers for global brands. Her ability to quickly understand her customers’ needs and to develop simple solutions to their commercial challenges are perfectly suited to supporting our ever-growing customer base here at Connect Purchasing.
Outside of work Carly makes time for the gym and long walks with her family and dog in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Environment Policy
Connect Purchasing aims to promote the protection and enhancement of the environment and to educate its colleagues, suppliers and associates in all environmental issues.
Our aim is to contribute, as responsible members of society, to a reduction in waste and carbon usage and to provide a safe, sustainable and pleasant environment in which to learn and work. The underpinning ethos of Connect Purchasing is, but not limited to:
- Ensuring that we are compliant with environmental legislation
- Recognise that we are both a consumer and provider of services
- Reviewing our environmental impact at regular points
- Recognise our areas for development and implement improvements
- Use resources carefully which in turn will help to reduce operating costs
- Ensure that partners with whom we work e.g. suppliers, adopt the same principles
Hotelier
in Swindon
“Having over 20 suppliers was making ordering produce so much harder and more expensive that it needed to be. Connect explained how they could help us consolidate our supplier portfolio without making any compromises. Its such a simple process”
John P.
Coffee Shop Owner
in Oxfordshire
“Despite using the same card merchant for almost 10 years, connect were adamant they could save me money, and they were right! But its more than that, the merchant they recommended is far more capable and reactive to problems than my previous provider”
Marcus W.
“Our suppliers were ok, but we always struggled to get deliveries on the days and times that we needed. Being in central London, we can only accept deliveries at certain times very early in the morning, CP were able to find suppliers that specialised in timed food deliveries. Would recommend to anyone!”
Jane R.
Care Home Facilities Manager
in Slough
“I started purchasing my care consumables through Connect Purchasing in December last year and they were able to save me over 15%, I’m constantly checking prices of other companies and still Connect purchasing are cheaper.”
Vicky L.
Publican
in Banbury
“Connect talked me through the process and completed a thorough review of our products and helped me save over £1000 in the first month, this has really helped especially with wage costs going through the roof”
Graham M.
