Lifetime Achievement Award

Suffolk News

Justin Godfrey of Thomas Ridley Foodservice won the Lifetime Achievement award at the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards 2023

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:03 - Joining me now is Justin Godfrey

00:04 from Thomas Ridley Food Service,

00:06 winner of the Janik Lifetime Achievement Award.

00:10 Congratulations, how does it feel

00:12 to win such a prestigious award?

00:14 - Well, slightly humbling really actually,

00:16 'cause I feel like I still have a lifetime ahead of me.

00:19 So I've been nominated for this

00:22 by all of the colleagues at Ridley's,

00:26 without me knowing actually.

00:27 I think my parents were involved,

00:28 they knew and I got told a few weeks prior to this

00:32 to keep the date free.

00:33 So I had no knowledge until about three weeks ago

00:35 and yes, fantastic.

00:37 - So you weren't suspicious,

00:38 they said, "Keep the date free,

00:40 "we can't tell you why, but you weren't suspicious."

00:43 - No, no, no, no, 'cause my wife was in on it.

00:45 So just a normal keep Friday free

00:48 because we're going out and I didn't ask why.

00:51 So here we are.

00:52 So no, fantastic, very humbling, thank you.

00:54 - And how does it feel to have played a part

00:56 in your family's long running history with the business?

01:00 - Well, it's been fantastic adventure.

01:02 So the door was open to get in there and create a business

01:06 and we've had a great team behind us

01:08 and we took it up to about 300 people.

01:11 And in all honesty, it's been a very exciting journey

01:16 and it's grown beyond all recognition really.

01:21 And I think that's obviously, well, I don't think,

01:23 I know that's down to the people that are

01:25 within the business, of course,

01:26 'cause the business is people

01:28 and there's about 300 of them and they're all fantastic.

01:31 - And over that lifetime, your proudest achievement,

01:33 what would you say that is?

01:34 - Oh gosh, I think in, really to be honest,

01:37 while I've been running the business,

01:39 you don't really ever look back at achievements

01:42 'cause you're probably looking ahead

01:43 at what you'd like to do next.

01:46 So I'll let you know about that

01:48 when I finally stop achieving.

01:51 - And what do you think your great, great, great,

01:55 great, great grandfather would say about the business

02:00 if he was around today, would he recognize it?

02:02 - Well, I think, yeah,

02:03 and I think I'm a sixth generation grocer.

02:06 So would he recognize it?

02:07 Yeah, because back then they had horses and carts

02:12 and no refrigeration and people bought their food daily

02:16 because they didn't have any storage at home

02:19 and quite often the other half didn't work

02:22 so they went shopping daily.

02:24 So it's changed a lot, yes, unbelievably.

02:27 - And what have you made about tonight's event?

02:29 Well, I mean, it ended brilliantly, obviously,

02:31 but what have you made of tonight's event?

02:33 - Yes, great evening.

02:34 I've been once before a few years ago.

02:36 It's a lot of fun, it's great to see.

02:38 It was great to promote all the local businesses, really.

02:41 So coming along to something like this,

02:43 you realize how many people there are in the area

02:46 making things happen and lots of exciting brands

02:49 and lots of exciting young people who've got energy

02:52 and enthusiasm wanting to smash it up

02:56 and make some progress, really.

02:58 - Congratulations to you, well done.

03:00 - Thank you very much, thanks.

03:02 (upbeat music)

03:04 (upbeat music)

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