VWT had grown too big for its Vale home

VWT Wholesalers has moved into a new store in St Martin's. The confectionery, soft drinks and crisps wholesaler and distributor is now at Les Huriaux.

It has an area of 6,500sq. ft, which is three times larger than its former Bordeaux depot.

'Everything is very organised,' said manager Jason Langmead.

'It gives us greater buying power, which means we can be more competitive on prices than we already are.'

Mr Langmead, 37, said it had relocated from the Vale in March because its success required it to have bigger premises.

'It did us well for the first few years but we more than outgrew it.

'Business boomed and already it was too small.'

He said that his wife, Nathalie, had been instrumental in running the busy firm.

'We've got 270 accounts and we supply convenience stores, sandwich bars, beach kiosks, schools and independent traders and we do our own in-house supplies.

'The beach kiosks are all opening and the season is kicking in so we are busy stocking people.'

Mr Langmead said that a surprising hit so far this year had been Fairtrade products.

He said the recent Guernsey Press-supported Fairtrade Fortnight had boosted the number of enquiries that his company had received about products in that range.

'That is down to Steve Mauger and the Fairtrade steering group.

'When we first got it, we thought it would be a bit of a phase and people would drop it. But now Fairtrade products are beginning to replace and stand alongside existing ones.'

The company became known as VWT in 2002 after 10 years under the name Vazon Wholesale Traders.

Before that it had been the wholesale division of retail firm Vazon Stores, which was established in the late 1950s by Mr Langmead's grandmother, Nellie.

It opened in small premises at Vazon and in 1976 moved to larger ones nearby, which were bought by the Co-op and are now being extended.