2U Food is one of the North West’s leading mobile food truck companies. Having initially developed the idea more than 18 years ago, the catering company has continued to flourish ever since. Owner Paul Foster explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Food & Drink. Report by Imogen Ward.
Founded in 2006, 2U Food has an interesting origin story. “Before 2U Food was established, I worked for a bakery that was investing in a mobile food truck trial,” Owner Paul Foster explained.
“This pilot ran for two years before the company decided it didn’t want to continue down that route and agreed to sell the trucks to me.
“The first years were quite difficult because I had to max out my credit cards to keep the business running, but it was an extremely exciting time, and I have no regrets.”
From its humble beginnings with just four trucks, 2U Food continued to grow steadily, before purchasing, from a kind couple, its current facility in Rainford, Merseyside.
“We didn’t know this incredible couple at the time, but they let us purchase the building purely on trust,” said Mr Foster. “It was one of those lifechanging moments that I will never forget.”
With the move came a change of local authorities, which the company warmly welcomed. Moving from an area that made no effort to support local businesses, to one that is extremely supportive of fledgling businesses, made all the difference.
“From that point on, our business rocketed into the unstoppable force it is today,” continued Mr Foster. “I could probably go and open several additional depots tomorrow and fill them very quickly. That’s how popular we are now. It is truly amazing how far we have come.”
Sterling support
None of this would have been possible without 2U Food’s hardworking local supply chain, and Mr Foster was quick to praise each one: “Working with these suppliers is second to none. We have come to see them more as friends and neighbours, rather than business associates, and they have been instrumental to our success, always delivering the quality and trust we require, in the form of the freshest ingredients. This is crucial to our operations as we pride ourselves on delivering some of the freshest sandwiches available.
“They have also been key to our mission to cut out plastic – helping us to replace
our packaging with recyclable and compostable alternatives – all our suppliers have been supportive of this mission from day one.”
With the desire to utilise only the best trucks, 2U Food also relies heavily on its truck supplier, Jiffy Trucks, who has redesigned and rebuilt the company’s trucks several times over.
“I’m not the easiest person to please, but Jiffy has been incredibly supportive in bringing my evolving visions to life,” Mr Foster explained. “In 2018, following a conversation with local farmers, I asked
why they all drove Isuzu pickup trucks. The overwhelming response was how robust and solid these vehicles were, with a good dealer network.”
From this point onwards, Jiffy Trucks produced the Isuzu Grafter Jiffy Truck. “I have tried several other truck manufacturers in the past, but none of them have met Jiffy’s standard,” Mr Foster said.
Vending victories
2U Food’s impressive growth is also, in part, due to the diversification of its capabilities. Always eager to meet its customers’ needs, the company added a vending service to its offering in 2010.
“Over the years, our customers have come to us for other services because of our high-quality fresh food,” said Mr Foster. “That is how our vending service was born.”
In 2021, following requests from several corporate clients, 2U Food added micro markets to its offering. Acting like a canteen –without the added expense – these micro markets offer 24/7 access to self-service
hot and cold food. The micro market also features a section for snacks and soft drinks, providing the perfect combinations for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
“We developed our own technology for the micro markets, and it works a dream,” Mr Foster commented. “The best part is the price because they are a fraction of the cost compared to a traditional canteen.
Generations
The best batch: “Our flatbreads are currently our most popular line. That is thanks to the flatbread we use, which is olive oil based and is absolutely stunning. No matter what filling we offer, it works.”
Paul Foster, Owner, 2U Food.
The business currently has hundreds of vending machines and several micro markets installed across the Northwest, having just installed the latest two in the office block of a new company.
“The client was interested in our micro markets as an alternative to traditional canteen facilities, with each serving approximately 250 to 1,000 people per day,” explained Mr Foster.
These solutions have been incredibly successful, leading 2U Food to make an important investment. Having already acquired a car park located across from its headquarters, the company intends to build a dedicated unit on-site for its vending and micro market services.
Gradual growth
Currently operating with a fleet of over 60 trucks, and plans to add even more in the future, 2U Food also decided to open
new premises in Manchester. The site was originally acquired in 2020, but the building’s inauguration was delayed due to Covid.
With the pandemic putting an indefinite pause on these plans, 2U Food took the opportunity to refit the facility to match its needs. This was a huge undertaking, as the production floor had to be moved from the first floor to ground level. With the refit now coming to a close, the company has more than doubled its capacity.
“The Manchester facility can comfortably store and service more than 60 trucks, and we expect to have filled that capacity by the end of 2027,” Mr Foster revealed. “It will also be used to support our additional vending and micro market services and will have a new sandwich wrapping facility as well.”
Well on track to reach its 2027 target, the company is now preparing to expand
once more with a new facility in the North Yorkshire area. 2U Food expects to acquire the new facility by the end of this year, taking the business outside of its usual North West catchment.
The caterer also recently invested huge sums in replacing its baking facilities at both sites, installing larger, more efficient alternatives that have an increased shelf capacity of 25% per rack.
“In line with our 2027 goals, we will acquire 13 new trucks by the end of 2024 and have several more micro markets up and running,” Mr Foster continued. “We also want to invest in office space at our current facilities to account for
a growth in workforce and help improve employee satisfaction.
“I have worked at a lot of different companies over the years, and employee dissatisfaction was always a prominent factor. People went to work because they had to, not because they wanted to. When I set up 2U Food, I promised myself that we would never be that kind of business, and I have managed to provide an environment that allows for that.
“Every day, I walk into work, and I am greeted with laughter and happy faces, and that really solidifies our journey to providing fresh, honest and good food to all of our customers.”
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