Buying Manager - Food to Go

We have an exciting opportunity for a Buying Manager to join the commercial team of a fast‑paced retail business with hundreds of stores across the UK. This role will take ownership of sourcing exceptional ingredients, packaging and food service solutions that underpin a best‑in‑class Food to Go proposition. The position offers a blend of office and home working, with around three days per week spent at their West Midlands office.

As Buying Manager for Food to Go, you will lead a small team responsible for sourcing and managing the full suite of FTG components — including ingredients, finished‑in‑store ranges, bakery, hot and cold drinks, ice cream, slush, thaw‑and‑serve products, and branded food service partner lines. You will shape the FTG sourcing strategy end‑to‑end, covering:

• Ingredient and component sourcing
• Packaging solutions and on‑product POS
• Recipe creation, costing and substitution processes
• Pricing, promotional effectiveness and margin optimisation
• Supplier relationships, commercial terms and joint business planning

You will work cross‑functionally with food technology, supply chain, operations and marketing to ensure products are compliant, scalable and operationally frictionless. You will also play a key role in delivering FTG profitability through visibility of product costs, waste, labour and GM performance. This is a hands‑on, commercially autonomous role where you will influence category direction, support store execution, and help deliver a Food to Go offer that stands out on the high street.

To be considered, you will bring experience in buying or sourcing within Food to Go, food service, retail or FMCG — ideally with exposure to ingredients, packaging, or made‑in‑store ranges. You will have a proven track record of bringing products and ranges to market, working closely with food development teams, and navigating allergens, nutritional data and compliance requirements.

You will be highly data‑literate, confident in Excel, and comfortable managing pricing, promotions and commercial performance. Strong cross‑functional leadership is essential, as is the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and challenge commercial decisions when needed. Experience managing small teams or leading recipe/ingredient processes would be advantageous.

You will receive a competitive salary car allowance
, bonus
, private healthcare, generous holidays and a broad benefits package. You’ll be joining a business with a strong values‑led culture, a genuine focus on colleague wellbeing, and a commitment to supporting local communities — all within a commercial team where autonomy and progression are encouraged.