The Bridge Group was first formed in the early 1960's when several Hotels of a similar size met together and decided to save money by bulk buying. The name was derived from their location, Bridge Road, and therefore delivery and redistribution of orders was easy for both suppliers and members.

A common sight in Bridge Road in those days was a vehicle delivering sacks of potatoes, flour, toilet rolls, or whatever best deal was available. There would be one central point, usually a members garage, and the others would collect their orders and take them home. Wheelbarrows were always at the ready and by the end of the decade local amusement changed into application to join the entrepreneurs, who had earned something of a reputation both locally and throughout the Westcountry.

Membership spread to almost every Hotel and Guest House in Bridge Road, Cleveland Road, and Falkland Road. There were even plans to go further but the activities and progress of the group had been observed by some of the larger Hotels. Soon other buying groups emerged but the Bridge Group still had an attraction, as it does now, for many of the proprietor operated businesses who want a fair and competitive deal from their suppliers together with the friendliness of a group of like-minded Hoteliers.

In the 1970's membership had risen to over 20 and this steady growth led to the annual appointment of a committee. Their duties included negotiating supplies for that year with a few nominated suppliers and organising regular social events, for past and present members.

During the 1980's a membership continued to grow bringing with it the need for a more defined structure to the Group. By now, rules were established; members meetings held regularly; committee members elected with specific responsibilities, and of course prosperity was the norm in our industry. However, the recession of the late 80's brought its toll of closures within the group and there were signs of a significant drop in numbers with the subsequent loss of buying ability for the remaining members.

The foundations laid by those early pioneers proved to be secure and the Bridge Group entered the 90's with a nucleus of over 50 committed members who were all determined to help each other survive and prosper through tough but fair negotiating with our suppliers. Many of these businesses have also become our friends and support the group well, including social events. Now with the start of the new Millenium, membership has risen to 65 (currently 64, Sept 2006).

A typical Bridge Group member is a Hotel or Guest House with probably between 10 and 20 bedrooms, but with a minimum of 15 bed spaces, owned and operated by the resident proprietors, possibly licensed, and is likely to be open all year, who recognise that the benefits of being part of something bigger far outweighs the loss of independance when it comes to choosing main suppliers.

In the early days the savings were achieved solely on food and consumable items. Today it is just as important to reduce operating and service costs through bulk negotiations. Tomorrow will be different again.

If you want to be part of this long established and successful organisation, and can meet the criteria set out in our rules, we would be pleased to talk with you. All it takes is a phone call to our Membership Secretary, Chris Scregg, on 01803 293718.

For a full list of committee members click here