Fresh Produce Buying Manager

MorePeople; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food-to-go brand in Central London is seeking a Buying Manager to oversee fresh produce procurement. The role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and supporting innovative sourcing strategies. Ideal candidates will have strong negotiation skills and experience in the food sector. Benefits include 33 days annual leave, private medical cover, and a flexible working environment.

Benefits

33 days of annual leave

Free private medical cover

Matched pension contribution

Life assurance

Loyalty award for long service

Flexible Benefits Platform

Season ticket loans

Healthcare cash plan

Financial wellbeing provisions

Free mortgage services

Sabbatical after 3 years

Qualifications

• Proven buying experience from retail, foodservice, or manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to fresh produce supply chains is ideal.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Managing supplier partnerships for quality and value delivery.
• Negotiating contracts for cost improvements sustainably.
• Overseeing varietal transitions to minimize waste.
• Supporting NPD and sourcing projects with various teams.
• Building sourcing strategies for secure supply.

Skills

Negotiation Skills

Commercial Curiosity

Attention to Detail

Job description

Title: Buying Manager (Fresh Produce)
Salary: 50-60K + 10% Bonus (+excellent benefits!)
Location: Central London - 3 days in the office

Are you a Fresh Produce Buyer who can tell your Pink Ladies from your Jazz Apples - and thrives in the fast-moving world of fresh food? This is an exciting opportunity to join a leading food-to-go brand that's passionate about quality, innovation and sustainability.

You’ll take ownership of buying across wholehead and prepared produce, managing a diverse supplier base to deliver consistent quality, competitive costs, and products customers love. Working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, you’ll be part of a team that’s shaping how millions of people eat every day.

What you’ll be doing:

• Managing supplier partnerships to deliver the right quality and value across the fresh produce range.
• Negotiating contracts and driving cost improvements while ensuring sustainable outcomes for growers and partners.
• Overseeing varietal and seasonal transitions to maintain consistency and minimise waste.
• Supporting NPD and sourcing projects in partnership with technical, development and supply chain teams.
• Building resilient sourcing strategies that keep supply secure through challenging seasons and changing markets.

Candidate criteria

You’ll bring proven buying experience from a retail, foodservice, or manufacturing environment, ideally with exposure to fresh produce supply chains. Commercial curiosity, negotiation skills and a sharp eye for detail are essential - as is the ability to juggle multiple projects and stakeholders at pace.

Why join

This business is known for its strong culture, supportive teams and opportunities to grow. You’ll enjoy great benefits, including 33 days' annual leave (rising with service), private medical cover, matched pension, lifestyle perks, and plenty of ways to develop your career – from leadership programmes to funded professional qualifications.

Full list of perks

• You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days over time
• Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost
• 4% of your pension contribution matched, rises to 5% after 5 years
• Life assurance at 3x annual salary
• Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years' service
• Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts
• Season ticket loans
• Healthcare cash plan
• Financial wellbeing provisions
• Free mortgage services
• Sabbatical after 3 years

Hybrid working is available (typically 3 days a week in the London office), along with a sociable, food-loving team that genuinely believes in doing things the right way.

If successfully shortlisted for the above, our 3rd party partner will be in touch to discuss your application further. Expect to receive a call / email from Jordan at MorePeople.