Over the past few years, the impact of Covid lockdowns, followed by natural disasters such as the recent floods in northern NSW have underscored the importance of a robust supply chain to the foodservice sector. Independent distributors have long been a key component of the industry’s lifeblood, and this year Countrywide – Australia’s largest group of independently owned distributors – is celebrating its 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we interviewed Countrywide CEO Jeff Dhu and Sebastian Galipo of Galipo Foods to get their thoughts about the importance or putting family-owned businesses front and centre of foodservice distribution.