Erudus has parted from its parent company Fairway Foodservice in what the business is calling a strategic move, with Erudus chief operating officer Jon Shayler promoted to chief executive, and former Fairway chief executive Chris Binge taking on the role of Erudus chair.
The data platform company is currently seeking to appoint a non-executive board director and will also continue to work with the buying group in a professional capacity.
Erudus now works with more than 1200 manufacturers directly by adding their latest product specification to its data pool, which is then accessed and used by 165 wholesalers and more than 85,000 caterers and retailers.
Read more: Erudus expands integration partners as Natasha’s Law takes effect
Erudus experienced major growth in 2014, when the introduction of FIC (Food Information to Consumers) and FIR (Food Information Regulations) legislation put clear perimeters on how allergen information should be made available and presented, and with the continued importance of allergen management – as well as the implementation of Natasha’s Law, and increasing consumer demand around dietary suitability labelling, the business is set to experience further expansion in the coming months.
Erudus says this makes it the perfect time to make the break from Fairway, whose help and support have been invaluable to the development and success of Erudus, and capitalise on the opportunity to become the truly independent data solution it wishes to be to benefit the entire industry.
Shayler said: “The support of Fairway allowed Erudus to grow as a business, and we couldn’t have achieved what we have to date without them. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to InStudio for their contribution in helping to progress Erudus in the early days.
It has always been the intention that once Erudus could support itself we would look to make it a standalone business – to give it a truly independent position and allow us to exist as an impartial industry solution. We wish Fairway well, and look forward to a long working relationship with the whole buying group.”
Coral Rose, chief executive of Fairway Foodservice, added: “Chris showed exceptional market insight when investing in the development of Erudus in 2007. The platform has expanded to become an industry leading database however it’s continued affiliation to Fairway has inhibited growth as some customers consider this a conflict of interest. The timing is now right for a complete separation of the two businesses with Chris able to support Jon on the continued reach of Erudus leaving Fairway able to focus completely on our core priority which is the development of services and support for our Members.”
