Services > Strategic Sourcing and Procurement
Strategic Sourcing and Procurement for Food Brands
The right supplier makes a product consistent, safe and profitable. The wrong one can cost you customers. We help food brands, retailers and hospitality groups find and qualify the right suppliers and factories, negotiate contracts that protect them and manage purchasing so that costs stay under control as they grow.
Who this is for
Food brands that need a manufacturer, ingredient supplier or packaging partner, in Europe, the US or elsewhere.
Retailers, restaurant groups and hospitality companies developing their own products who need qualified suppliers.
Importers and distributors who want to widen their supplier base, or reduce dependence on one source.
What we do
Supplier Identification
We define what you need, from product specification and volumes to certifications and price, and search for suppliers that fit. You receive a shortlist with the information needed to compare them.
Factory Qualification
Before you commit, we check the facility: food safety certification, audit history, capacity, quality systems, traceability and references. For products going to the US, we also check FDA registration and the readiness to support an importer's verification.
Procurement Strategy
We design how you buy: single or multiple suppliers, direct or through an agent, contract length, order cycles and risk. The plan fits your volumes and your tolerance for risk.
Cost Reduction
We review your costs for ingredients, packaging, freight and labour, and find savings that do not hurt quality, such as pack changes, volume consolidation or a different route.
Contract Negotiation
We negotiate terms with suppliers: price and how it adjusts, minimum volumes, lead times, quality standards, who owns recipes and packaging, liability and the way out. For the main points to cover, see our guide to private label food manufacturing.
Purchasing Optimization
We set up the process for ordering and forecasting, so that you buy at the right time, in the right quantities, without stock shortages or surplus.
Vendor Consolidation
Where you have many small suppliers, we help you reduce the number, improve terms and simplify management, without creating a risky single point of failure.
Strategic Sourcing
We take a longer view: how supply, cost and quality will change as you grow, and which relationships to build now.
Common problems we help solve
A supplier who cannot deliver the volume or consistency you need.
No clear way to compare suppliers on price, quality and risk.
Contracts that do not cover who owns the recipe, how prices change or what happens at the end.
Rising ingredient, packaging or freight costs.
Too many suppliers to manage, or too much dependence on one.
Suppliers who do not meet food safety or US regulatory requirements.
How we work
Discover. We learn your products, volumes, quality requirements and current suppliers.
Design. We write the specification and the sourcing plan, including the criteria for choosing suppliers.
Source. We find, compare and qualify suppliers, request samples and quotes and negotiate terms.
Launch. We coordinate trial runs, first orders, quality checks and the first shipment.
Scale. We review performance, adjust the supplier mix and extend to new products.
Guides
Frequently asked questions
How do you qualify a food supplier?
We check food safety certification, audit history, capacity, quality control, traceability and references, and for US sales we check FDA registration. We visit or review the facility where it matters, and we test samples.
What certifications should a food supplier have?
Many larger buyers expect food safety certification benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative, such as BRCGS, SQF or IFS, but the right requirement depends on the product and the buyer. We help you set the standard that fits.
Can you source from Europe for a US business?
Yes. We can help US based brands and importers find European suppliers and manage the regulatory steps for import, including labelling and importer duties.
Can you help me find a contract manufacturer?
Yes. Factory qualification and manufacturing coordination are part of our service, and we work from your specification and volume to shortlist partners.
How do you reduce costs without hurting quality?
We look at specification, pack format, volume, supplier mix and freight route, and we negotiate terms. Savings are agreed with you before any change is made to the product.
Do you work with one supplier or several?
Either. The right answer depends on your volume, risk and the product. We set out the options and the trade offs.
Talk to us about sourcing
Tell us what you need to source, and we will explain how we would approach it.