Brakes UK
Business Development Manager
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Business Development Manager - Home/Field-based (Southampton, Winchester & Reading)
Competitive uncapped bonus potential, company car or car allowance & home-based contract
At Brakes, we’re driving ambitious growth goals, and we want someone passionate and determined to shape our future as part of a high-performing Independent Sales Team at the forefront of foodservice innovation. We’re seeking a Business Development Manager (BDM) to uncover, engage and secure new independent business opportunities across home/field-based locations.
About the Role
You’ll be the driving force behind fresh business development, leveraging your commercial acumen, retail insight and broad industry relationships to grow our pipeline. From hunting for high-potential leads to crafting bespoke proposals, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering profit-focused growth and contractual wins.
Key focus areas include:
- Tailored customer propositions for independent foodservice operators
- Deep engagement with local food markets & trends
- Collaborating with the Area Sales Manager to onboard new clients
- Staying ahead of competitor benchmarking and emerging market trends
What You’ll Be Doing
Field-Based Business Development & Sales Execution
- Identify and pursue underserved independent businesses to grow the client base.
- Devise market-driven propositions that solve cost efficiency and operational challenges for food operators.
- Secure commitments through persuasive sales pitches and follow-through—meet KPIs with clear revenue targets.
- Engage prospects with bespoke product insights to foster long-term customer relationships.
- Network across restaurants, pubs, caterers, and caution sectors to drive repeat business.
Customer & Market Drive
- Cultivate D2C (direct-to-customer) connections, driving loyalty and repeat purchases.
- Monitor and translate industry trends (e.g. sustainability, omnichannel retail) to create differentiated value offers.
- Represent Brakes curation expertise to empower customers with central procurement benefits.
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Goal Orientation
- Align daily efforts to hit projected growth benchmarks.
- Optimise market coverage, using data and sales intuition to crush personal and business KPIs.
Responsibilities
✅ New Business Fishing – Cast your net far to seize fresh, high-value opportunities. ✅ Customer-Centric Consulting – Sell with a focus on cost/time efficiencies, partnering-adjacent supplier synergies. ✅ Industry Agility – Constantly learn and update on competitor moves and market shifts. ✅ High-Energy Sales Execution – Transform leads into signed opportunities and lifelong customers.
Requirements
Experience & Skills
We’re not prescriptive about background, but prefer candidates who:
- Commercial aptitude – A knack for persuasion and negotiation to close deals.
- A hands-on drive with sales targets at heart—delivering results-driven growth.
- Field persuasion – Self-assured outreach—highly mobile, outbound in energy, eager to build relationships in competitive environments.
- Fluid communication between real-time results-talk and long-term business alignment.
Sellers needn’t be food natives—we train you comprehensively on our customer base, value-add inclusions and catering market dynamics.
Ideal candidates may have:
- Sales in customer relationship management—especially if ex Hamas, café, or food-tech backgrounds exist.
- A stint exploiting product insights or operational insights in foodservice retail.
Our Culture – Bring Your True You
We’re against toxic ‘fit-in’ ideals. Be authentic: Your way of doing is as crucial as results.
- We celebrate diversity, inclusion—at Brakes, everyone has a voice and options.
- Lead through belonging, innovation, and unleashing potential. Prioritise human connections over siloed targets.
- As a nation-serving supplier, it’s everyone’s job to stand out at a vital function.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Brakes empowers colleague-driven growth.
The Brakes Difference
We’ve Got a Reputation (And a Cupboard) Full of Opportunity
- Be the changemaker driving omnichannel purchasing revolution in food retail.
- Inspire our restaurants, pubs, and care sector partners through supplied quality and partnership.
- Claim industry-impact—making every decision enhance customer success.
Since 1865, we’ve been the UK’s largest wholesaler. Today, we pioneers fresh froze & premium ingredients to cater clubs, gyms, nurses—and the heart of communities. Tap into our 8,000-strong family’s mission: to feed the nation better.
Why Join Us?
- Uncapped bonuses + car allowance/comms options for excellence.
- A home-based commercial setup with structured support-on-demand field hours.
- No cutthroat offices—grow at the same speed as your career ambitions. Find your professional and personal why.
- A mission that’s more than quotas: True human partnership in every food story.
Additional Notes
✨ Flexibility is our standard: Brakes pushing beyond fixed roles. ✨ Invest trust and reward innovation: Growth is a team picture. ✨ Listen: Curious and open team culture is how we know batter than speculate.
Inclusive Application Support – We’ll adjust processes to meet your needs. Speak directly to the recruiting team.
If commercial grit, valueerné relationships and reshaping food logistics sounds right up your street, you’re speaking our language already. We look forward to learning more quiet you.
Everything we do at Brakes, we do with an eye on who comes next. #TogetherEveryoneGrows
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