Fylde coast outdoor cooking firm responds to ‘rapid expansion’

42-year-old Chris Morgan is taking the reins at Poulton-le Fylde based Alfresco Brands Ltd, now a major UK supplier of outdoor cooking hardware, fuel sources and food accessories for retail outlets.

Alfresco Brands is spinning off from sister firm Innovative Food Ingredients to become a limited company in its own right following a period of rapid business expansion.

Chris will take overall responsibility for widening the client and customer network at the company, which also provides behind the scenes support with supply chain services including e-commerce fulfilment, dropshipping, third party logistics and warehousing.

The company said Chris had a wide range of national and international business development, trading and relationship management experience. His career has included senior managerial roles working with household names such as Fentimans, Kettle Foods UK, HB Clark and VX3.

Chris said: “Customer and retailer demand for authentic wood fired cooking is still rising as the trend for entertaining at home continues. With brands such as The Alfresco Chef and Petromax, we’re seeking further expansion by adding to our network of retail outlets and growing our customer base.

“My job is twofold: providing our retail outlets with top of the range equipment, like our wood fired pizza ovens, for their customers, and helping businesses in the sector to diversify their range and improve their margins.”

Alfresco Brands director Mike Brennand said: “Our family run business has established itself as a trusted distributor in the UK over the past seven years and we’ve been able to develop a portfolio of leading brands. Chris has the international pedigree to take us in the right direction and elevate the business to the next level.”

Alfresco Brands was established in 2015 by Lancashire brothers Michael and David Brennand who saw the outdoor cooking equipment market as an opportunity for growth. Deals struck with international brands such as Petromax and Grate Goods in recent years have helped to cement its place as a UK supplier.

It has also been successful in rolling out its own brand of equipment and accessories with The Alfresco Chef, supplying leading garden centres across the country.