Demand for supply

Online ordering specialist Makella is hoping to carve out a niche in the pub

sector. Noli Dinkovski reports

Any licensee worth their salt knows that getting stock right is vital to the smooth running of their pub - and it goes far beyond simply

ordering too much or too little.

Just take a look at food - consumers are seeking far more information on nutrition and provenance of goods, and generally demanding greater value across the board.

Equally, on the drinks side of things, more and more people are seeking out speciality and imported lagers as alternatives to the more usual mainstream brands.

No surprise then that online ordering specialist Makella - already big in the hotel and restaurant industries - is targeting the pub sector, following its takeover by US

company, Amphire Solutions.

According to managing director Liam

Taylor, the need for efficient sourcing of goods is more crucial than ever if pubs are to keep up with growing consumer demands.

We caught up with Taylor to find out what Makella can offer pubs.

What does Makella provide?

We are more than just an online ordering firm. We can look after the entire management of a pub's supply chain, which includes setting up contracts and finding suppliers. We can also develop bespoke software that clients can use to link to their suppliers. This will help pubcos make informed buying decisions and ultimately ensure that their customers are going to find the quality of product they expect in what is a demanding market.

How are you planning to target the pub sector?

For us, pubs are the missing piece of the jigsaw, as we are already very well represented in the hotel and restaurant sectors. We will be targeting the pubco operators at first. Our services are not really designed for, say, individual freehouses to use at the moment, but there's no reason why estates with just a few pubs can't benefit.

What do you see as the main issues facing pubs?

It's a fast-changing world, and that's where we see an opportunity for our systems to keep pace with these changes. Issues such as the smoking ban have raised the importance of food as a proportion of the overall gross profit of any pub outlet and chain in operators' minds. It's of increasing importance to the consumer, and a growing revenue generator for the pubs.

Do you give any additional support?

Once operators have agreed a contract with a supplier,

we can integrate the systems of every single pub in a chain with all their suppliers, connecting them all up to one system. So, rather than being a small ordering website, it's an integrated system that combines everything in one place. By having that, pubcos are able to monitor and make reports on their spend across their entire estate.

Is it all online?

Yes, but it's not right to think of it as something like Amazon or Tesco.com, because we are dealing in a B2B market and it is a more sophisticated supply chain. So, while it's online, it's about the management of that whole supply chain and sourcing process.

How much do your services cost?

The modules are so bespoke, that's like asking how long a piece of string is. We prefer to look at how much money can be saved. One of our clients, Thistle Hotels, has saved £150,000 in the last year since taking on our Procure Lite software. It enables 200 people across Thistle's 49 hotels to order supplies from 30 approved suppliers. They can generate orders through a central website at any part of the day - essential in the hospitality industry where vital food orders are often made by chefs after evening service.

How will the change in ownership to Amphire Solutions shape your strategy?

Independence from our previous owner, Bidvest -

which also owns distributor 3663 First for Foodservice - is a key factor. While Makella has always operated independently from 3663, this move gives us a further degree of separation - so this is a positive move for

all involved. I think that the acquisition has enabled

us to focus on where we want to grow most and has

also given us greater scale, so we can grow more quickly. We currently handle about one million transactions annually, at a value of over £700m. We hope to

increase this to two and a half million transactions

within three years.