IMPORTERS

Whether you’re seeking food from Europe, Asia or closer to home, FFD’s annual directory is here to help independents weigh up their wholesale options

Compiled by Tom Dale

KEY

Importer

Ambient

Chilled

Charcuterie

Vegan / Free-from / Wholefoods

Cheese

Foodservice

Importers & distributors guide 2021

L’Aquila

laquila.co.uk

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK & Ireland L’Aquila specialises in Mediterranean vegetable ingredients including truffles, wild & exotic cultivated mushrooms (dried/marinated), roasted vegetables, pestos, olives, semi/sun-dried tomatoes, dried and cooked pulses and cereals and plant-based meat and fish substitutes. The Artisan Olive Oil Company

artisanoliveoilcompany. com

Min. order value: £125 Delivers to: UK An importer and distributor of Mediterranean organic fine foods and ingredients, The Artisan Olive Oil Company also has its own range of products. The wholesaler stocks oils from Frantoio Franci, Oro Bailen, Olio Diliberto among others Its range also includes other lines such as Tunisian antipasti and sauces from Moulins Mahjoub and Provençal preserves and spreads from aix&terra.

Carron Lodge

carronlodge.com

Min. order value: £50 Delivers to: UK Carron Lodge’s core range is speciality cheese, but the company also stocks olives, charcuterie and patés, and now vegan cheeses, among other fine foods. Cheesemakers of awardwinning Inglewhite Buffalo Cheese, Lancashire Blue and Shipston Blue, Carron Lodge also carries a range of other cheeses and imports yet more. Ballancourt

ballancourt.co.uk

Min. order value: £100 Delivers to: UK Ballancourt is an importer and distributor of French delicacies, including pâtés, terrines and rillettes. While mainly stocking a variety of private label products, the range is extensive and also includes select lines from other producers. The company also offers a labelling service enabling retailers to have their own branding applied to Ballancourt’s lines. Curd & Cure

curdandcure.co.uk

Min. order value: £50 (own van) £100 (courier) Delivers to: UK Specialising in British and regional artisan foods, Curd & Cure stocks a range of cheese, charcuterie and other speciality food & drink. It holds its own signature range of cheese and meat pre-packs as well as its own-brand lines Deli Tubs, Tiddly Blue cheese, and Rescue Range Soups. It also carries a large range of fine cheses, vegan cheeses, cheese accompaniments, meats, and more.

Olives Et Al

olivesetal.co.uk

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK Established 27 years ago, Olives Et Al supplies a large range of olives and other antipasti, as well as exclusive lines from Captain TipToes and Spirit of Estia. Its range of Mediterraneaninspired foods spans oils & dressings, nuts & snacks and store cupboard ingredients. Nikki Castley, head

buyer The Cress Company

Despite huge growth spurred on by the shi in consumer behaviour during the pandemic –which has allowed The Cress Company to bring forward two big moves –head buyer Nikki Castley remains reticent in her celebrations.

“It’s been a strange year,” she says. “We’ve seen a lot of businesses close, and we’ve been very fortunate to have come through it. Normally it would be amazing to achieve the growth we’ve had but the reasons behind that growth mean it’s a little bit tainted.”

It has, though, allowed the distributor to fasttrack two projects that had been in the pipeline – expanding into new larger premises north of the border in Dunfermline and southwards to open a depot in Telford.

Castley says that the plan was never to undertake both moves in the same year, but the COVID-in uenced growth has allowed the business to do so. “It’s an amazing opportunity,” she says. “It’s been super busy – a mammoth task – but we’ve managed to maintain normal service.”

The company’s recent move into its new 78,000sq warehouse and o ce complex has allowed it to accommodate new ranges and expand its catalogue to keep up with the shi ing demand brought on by COVID, including more basics and storecupboard essentials.

Meanwhile, the move into Telford earlier this year opened up target markets in Wales and the South West and helped the company shake o its ‘Scottish distributor’ tag, and is set to be followed by the opening of a chilled distribution hub in the Shropshire town this month. “We now go all the way down to the South Coast,” says Castley. “We’re just about covering the country in Cress green, but there are still a few areas that remain untouched.”

The new depot is allowing the company to expand its chilled range, again catering for the new customers who have found their way to independents during the pandemic.

“Our latest chilled catalogue is more convenience-led. Our customers are looking for ranges that will t with what their new customers are demanding, which is more on that everyday basket spend.”

Castley tells FFD that there is a lot she is excited about in the latest catalogues, but is keeping the details quiet for now.

Cress Co.

thecressco.co.uk Minimum order value:

£175 Delivers to: UK The Cress Co offers a range of ambient and chilled lines, predominantly from the UK, and carries both small artisan producers through to larger brands. Signature brands include Brigston & Co (Scottish handmade craft smoked hot dogs), Orkney Craft Vinegar (which produces vinegar from a rare strain of barley called Bere), and Londonbased La Tua Pasta.

The Fine Food Forager

thefinefoodforager.co.uk

Min. order value: No MOQ (Greater London area) Delivers to: UK A distributor of British food & drink to independents, The Fine Food Forager supports a low-waste economy by providing orders in recyclable bags and boxes. Brands exclusive to the company include Greensand Ridge gin & spirits, a range of sustainable ketchup and mayonnaise, honey and organic maple syrup in bulk and retail formats . Salento

salentofoods.com

Min. order value: £395 Delivers to: UK & EU Italian food specialist Salento sources ambient lines from every region of Italy. These include brands such as Alda and Antichi Dolci di Siena (amaretti/ biscuits), Antonio Marella (naturally coloured pasta), Benedetto Cavalieri (pasta), Boella & Sorriso (chocolate), Dal Forner (cakes/biscuits), and DonAntonio (pasta sauces). Blas ar Fwyd

blasarfwyd.com

Min. order value: £35 in Wales, rest of UK varies Delivers to: UK Blas ar Fwyd is a North Wales-based food manufacturer and fine food & wine wholesaler distributing throughout Wales and mainland UK to retail and hospitality. It works with over 150 Welsh producers specialising in quality artisan products, alongside Blas ar Fwyd handmade products – which are made in its SALSA approved kitchens and have won over 45 Great Taste Award Greencity Wholefoods

greencity.coop

Min. order value: £100 Delivers to: Scotland, NI,

Northern England A Glasgow-based wholesaler of wholefoods with a focus on ethical business, Greencity Wholefoods does not sell any products tested on animals and only sells goods that are suitable for vegetarians. Exclusive brands that can be found in the company’s catalogue include Rapscallion soda, You & I Kombucha, Angus Apple juice, Leftfield kombucha, Tchai Ovna loose tea, Uber bars and Spartan Protein bars. The Craft Drink Co

craftdrink.co.uk

Min. order value: £100 for van delivery (£200, courier) Delivers to: Central

England (van)/ nationwide The Craft Drink Co is a wholesaler specialising in British craft and small batch drinks including beers, ciders, spirits, English wine and soft drinks. Its signature brands include Bath Ales, Hook Norton Brewery, Purity Brewing, Dunkertons Cider, Westons Cider, Cotswolds Distillery and more than 150 other craft drink brands.

Paxton & Whitfield

paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Min. order value: £250 for free delivery Delivers to: UK mainland One of Britain’s oldest cheesemongers, Paxton & Whitfield is a wholesaler of British and Continental artisan cheeses, fine foods, alcohol and cheese-related homewares. As well as offering hampers and gift ranges, it also has a number of own-branded lines including cheese biscuits, savoury chutneys, sweet preserves, real ales and wines. The Olive Oil Co.

theoliveoilco.com

Min. order value: £70 Delivers to: UK The Olive Oil Co. is an importer and distributor of fine extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars from Italy. The wholesaler also stocks a range of flavoured oils, balsamic condiments and glazes, oilves, preserves, gifts, and offers a private label service on its own-brand lines. Il Fattore

ilfattore.co.uk

Min. order value: £100, UK mainland, or £200, islands and highlands Delivers to: UK Specialising in artisan Italian products, Il Fattore is an importer and distributor. It stocks antipasti, pasta & sauces, oils & vinegars, cheese, truffles, honey & jam, and carries signature brands Pastificio Morelli, Sala Cereali, Masseria Mirogallo, Galup and Stefania Calugi. Brindisa

brindisa.com

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK mainland Established more than 30 years ago, Brindisa is an importer, wholesaler and distributor specialising in Spanish foods – primarily meat, fish, cheeses, olives and olive oil – and also offering tastings and product training for its customers. It stocks a host of brands including Perelló, La Chinata, Patatas Torres, Ortiz and El Navarrico, as well as offering private label lines. Italicatessen

italicatessenuk.com

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK Founded in 2002, Italicatessen is an importer and distributor of fine Italian food and wines. The company has a team of food & wine consultants who provide pre- and post-sales service to help its customers select and sell the best products for their business. It carries signature brands Alce Nero, Pedrazzoli, Golfera, Giusti, Centrale del Latte di Brescia, Casarrigoni and many more.

David Harrison, CEO,

Seggiano

“We’ve had the most incredible pandemic,” says Harrison, and this is borne out by last year’s 45% increase in turnover.

The brand was “perfectly positioned” for the shi in consumer behaviour to luxury grocery, says the founder. “Our tagline is ‘Real food from Italy’ but now it should be ‘best in category Italian larder essentials’,” he says. Pasta, sauces, pestos and EVOOs are all areas that saw growth when the nation was locked down and disposable income began to pile up for some last year. And as food became the one outlet for luxury le for the legions of newly spawned high-end home cooks, Seggiano, says Harrison, was the obvious choice for a step up in all these departments.

Less expected, though, was the li to the brand’s sweeter lines. Harrison was surprised to nd pick-up in its jams and chocolate spreads, as consumers sought out luxury versions of their store cupboard staples.

The nation’s appetite for ne Continental foods is still on the rise, believes Harrison, despite Brexit and the issues around importing that have been created therein. “If we can keep it on the shelves, then people are going to buy it,” he says, provided the price doesn’t rise considerably.

But Seggiano has so far managed to handle the turbulent trading period by upping volumes and keeping boots on the ground in Italy. “Brexit has caused some hiccups,” he says, “but thankfully we’re not a tiny operation anymore which means we’ve got a team of people who can gure out how to make things move smoothly.”

The business is currently absorbing the “couple of per cent” change in costs due to added price of importing.

Harrison says that Brexit is “just another bump in the rocky road of the previous year”, and that the pandemic o ered a great opportunity to prepare.

“Coronavirus stresstested our business systems to the limit over the last year – and we’re still here, so they’ve worked,” he says. “Brexit was just another horrible hurdle to jump.”

Inspired by COVID and the consumer shi to home cooking, Seggiano has been working hard on some condiment new product development for 2021. Soon to be released, and still relatively hushhush, says Harrison, is a range of herbs that is completely new to market. They are neither fresh, nor dried, yet harness the bene ts of both.

Also in the pipeline is a new pasta cut –calamarata – and an organic Sicilian aubergine pasta sauce.

Seggiano

seggiano.com

Min. order value: None Delivers to: International For over 20 years, Seggiano has imported Italian goods from regions such as Tuscany, Sicily, Modena, Puglia and Calabria. Specialising in Italian larder essentials, it is well-known for its Lunaio olive oils and Seggiano balsamic vinegars but also carries products in other categories, including pestos, tapenades, pâtés, organic durum wheat pasta, Lingue flatbreads and organic chocolate hazelnut spreads. Artisan Food Club

artisanfood.club

Min. order value: Varies by producer Delivers to: International The Artisan Food Club works with artisan and startup brands to allow retailers to source from small and medium-sized producers through central invoicing and introduction orders, making its drop-shipping model very easy to use. Effectively it’s a wholesaler that carries no stock and all orders are sent direct from the producer, which means retailers have access to their full ranges. The Fine Cheese Co.

finecheese.co.uk

Min. order value: £150 Delivers to: UK As well as being a retailer, The Fine Cheese Co is a wholesaler, distributor and importer that specialises in British and European cheese and charcuterie. It also carries a range of premium imported dry goods from Europe and the USA alongside its own The Fine Cheese Co brand of crackers and accompaniments.

Infinity Foods

infinityfoodswholesale. coop

Min. order value: On application Delivers to: UK Infinity Foods sources ambient products from across the globe but specialises in organic brands such as olive company Lesbian Donkey, Mr Organic, and Rude Health cereals. It also produces an own-branded range of goods, covering categories like cereal grains, beans, pulses, and sweet snacks & confectionery. Best of Hungary

bestofhungary.co.uk

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK Best of Hungary carries fine foods and wine from Hungarian producers, many of which are SMEs and social co-operatives. The company is the exclusive supplier of brands including Great Taste award-winning producers such as Donum Terrae, Danubius Caviar and Hungarian Heritage black truffle products. The importer also supplies Hungarian paprika and honey in bulk for foodservice. Delicioso

delicioso.co.uk

Min. order value: No minimum, free delivery over £300 Delivers to: UK & Ireland Spanish food specialist Delicioso sources ambient, charcuterie and cheese lines from every region of Spain. These include brands like Pujado Solano, Azada Organic, Can Bech and Cudie, as well as its own branded lines of salsas, charcuterie, olives and pickles, tortas and picos.

Organico Realfoods

organicorealfoods.com

Min. order value: £500 Delivers to: UK mainland Organico Realfoods sources organic products from all over the globe but mainly from Europe. Signature brands include sustainable canned fish brand Fish4Ever, Redferns, juice brand Vitamont and It’s Soya Good as well as its Organicobranded lines. It has recently opened an EU-based subsidiary.

Holleys Fine Foods

holleysfinefoods.com

Min. order value: £100 within van delivery area Delivers to: UK Established in 1970, Holleys Fine Foods covers a whole range of premium ambient products, including bakery items, snacks, confectionery, world foods and preserves. It also carries a range of seasonal items. Signature brands it stocks include cheese straws from West Country Legends, Barney Jack’s heritage confectionery, Highfield Preserves, and Bakewell & Browne. The Oil Merchant

oilmerchant.co.uk

Min. order value: £350 or £80 inside London Delivers to: UK The Oil Merchant specialises in estate-bottled extra virgin olive oil from Europe and further afield, including South Africa. Over the years, the importer and distributor has expanded its offering, adding vinegars, honey, and Lebanese products to its range. Among the brands the business imports exclusively are Frescobaldi, Colonna, Ravida, and Marques de Valdueza. Cotswold Fayre

cotswold-fayre.co.uk

Min. order value: £250 (ambient), £100 (chilled) Delivers to: UK Originally a distribution hub for a few small producers in the Cotswolds, the distributor is now one of the largest speciality wholesalers in the UK, representing more than 350 suppliers of ambient and chilled products. It has a large selection of exclusive brands including Cumbrian Delights and Ines Rosales Spanish tortas, as well as its a signature brand, The Ministers of Taste. It has also recently partnered with zero-waste brand Unpackaged to offer a onestop refill service. Just so Italian

justsoitalian.co.uk

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK Just So Italian specialises in quality Italian food and carries a full range of meats, cheeses, antipasti, pasta, sauces, biscuits & pastries, coffee and drinks. It has exclusive distribution on many of its lines, including pasta from Pastificio Masciarelli, ‘Nduja and other spicy antipasti from Fattoria Sila and coffee from Saccaria. Mahalo

mahalosupplies.com

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK Launched in August 2020 and specialising in emerging brands through working with Bread & Jam, Mahalo is an independent-focused online distributor of speciality food & drink. Carrying many new-to-market lines, the company stocks signature brands Payst, Happy Eating House, BeeHype, Bold Bean Co, Rempapa, KindaCo, and many more.

Cryer & Stott

cryerandstott.co.uk

Min. order value: £100 Delivers to: UK With a strong focus on British products, Cryer & Stott is a wholesaler and distributor of cheese and fine foods. The company works with cheesemakers across the nation and also stocks its own range of cheeses. As well as cheese, Cryer & Stott carries a range of other dairy products, charcuterie, chutneys, antipasti and now a range of vegan ‘cheases’ and pies. The Gorgeous Food Company

gorgeousfoodcompany. co.uk

Min. order value: None Delivers to: UK The Gorgeous Food Company’s catalogue spans an extensive range of ambient categories, including confectionery, crisps & snacks, cold drinks, bakery, grocery, tea & coffee, gifts & homewares and world foods. Brands retailers can discover with the distributor include Atkins & Potts, Cocoba, Willies Cacao, Simply Cornish, Inspired Dining, Inspired Vegan, Charlie & Ivy’s, Fruity Kitchen, Makers & Merchants, Tregothnan, Anila’s and William Whistle. Tenuta Marmorelle

tenutamarmorelle.com

Min. order value: £100 Delivers to: UK & Ireland A producer of extra virgin olive oil and importer of fine foods, Tenuta Marmorelle sources fresh and ambient products from all over Italy. Brands include Casanova balsamic vinegar, Borsari Panettone, Villani Charcuterie, Viander and Tartufi Jimmy. The distributor has direct relationships with its clients and offers support in the form of staff training and tasting days. Iberica Spanish Food

ibericafood.com

Min. order value: £90 Delivers to: Sussex, Surrey and Kent Iberica offers a wide range of authentic and traditional Spanish products, many of which are protected under DOP, ETG, and IGP certification from the EU. It carries charcuterie, such as chorizo and Iberico ham, and cheeses, as well as olive oil and store cupboard ingredients. Country Products

countryproducts.co.uk

Min. order value: £150 for free delivery Delivers to: UK Country Products is a distributor specialising in wholefoods, storecupboard items and baking ingredients – largely under its own brand. It also offers a contract packing service.