Who we work with
Restaurant and food service groups.
A food service group cooks the same dish in many kitchens, so an ingredient that changes between deliveries changes the food. Consistency and continuity are worth more here than a lower price, because a substitution reaches the customer.
What you need that others do not.
- The same product every time
- Kitchens work to a recipe rather than to a specification sheet. A change in salt, sweetness or texture between lots shows up on the plate before anybody reads a certificate.
- Pack size for a kitchen
- Catering formats rather than retail. A pack that a chef opens and uses within a service reduces waste and is worth specifying deliberately.
- Continuity through a season
- A menu commits you for months. An ingredient that is unavailable for six weeks means a menu change across every site, which costs far more than the ingredient.
- Allergen and labelling information
- Kitchens have to answer customer questions accurately, which means holding ingredient and allergen data for every product on the shelf.
- Storage in a working kitchen
- Shelf life after opening, and whether the product needs chilling. Ambient shelf-stable formats solve a real operational problem in a busy kitchen.
- A distributor in the middle
- Most groups buy through a distributor rather than importing directly, so the question is frequently whether to import and hand to them, or to have them do it.
Where it goes wrong for you specifically.
Specifying on a sample from the chef
A chef approves a sample and the buying happens against a description. Convert the approval into measurable terms and a retained sample, or the second delivery is a different product.
Running out mid-menu
Indonesian production has holiday shutdowns and harvest seasons. Build the buying calendar backwards from the menu period rather than reordering when the shelf is empty.
Importing without the infrastructure
Direct import means holding stock, holding the compliance obligations and holding the cash. For many groups the right answer is buying from an importer and specifying the origin.
What we source for you.
Questions buyers ask.
Should a restaurant group import directly?
Only at a size where you can hold stock, hold the compliance obligations and absorb a container. Below that, buying from an importer while specifying the origin and the producer gets most of the benefit with none of the overhead.
How do I stop the product changing between deliveries?
A written specification with measurable terms and a sealed retained sample, and inspection against it. A chef's approval is where it starts and it cannot be where it ends.
What about seasonal availability?
Indonesian crops have seasons and factories close for holidays. Establish both before committing a menu, and buy ahead of the gap rather than discovering it.
Tell us what you are buying.
Product, quantity, destination and the date it has to land. We come back with what it involves before anyone talks about money.