RH Amar

RH Amar, a leading fine-food importer, earned an Investors in People gold award this year after staff said they felt appreciated, valued and liked the family culture.

The company says it has "a culture where we value, trust and respect each other, which allows us to have open and honest communication".

RH Amar, which represents 40 brands including household names such as Del Monte, Crespo, Schwartz and Pizza Express, is based in High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire. It was started In 1945 by Raoul Amar when he borrowed £2,000 and left his family's trading company to set up as a distributor of French food. The company remains in family ownership, with Raoul's grandson, Rob, heading the business as Managing Director, supported by a 80-strong team.

Today RH Amar has 1,200 products on its books from a wide range of international and UK brands. They include its own Cooks&Co, Mary Berry, and the Original Waffle Co.

Reflecting its approach to corporate social responsibility, the company supports Farm Africa, a charity that works with farmers and forest communities in eastern Africa, providing training to help them grow more food, look after their livestock and make a living using their natural resources sustainably. In 2020, with the environment in mind, the company switched its plastic bubble wrap and packing tape to honeycomb wrap and paper-based packing.