How should businesses identify product gaps to work with foodservice distributors?
I would recommend that businesses work hard to understand the core value proposition of the distributor they want to work with.
What are their values?
How do they position themselves within in the market?
Who are their core customers?
I would say that once you have a strong understanding of their proposition, you can then seek to understand their objectives. This should be not be limited to only their category objectives, but also their overall growth aspirations. How do they believe their business will grow? Organically or through customer acquisition? Then you can seek to find a niche within their category plans.
I believe it pays dividends to ask questions and remain curious. Alignment of values between supplier and wholesaler is often paramount to a successful partnership.
Vegetarian Express are in a privileged position to work with high end chefs who are at the forefront of food trends, are creative and in the mix of other like minded forward looking chefs. These are the chefs who see a trend in different cuisine or category, and put their own spin to best suit dishes to the customer palate in Britain. Our own development chefs collaborate with our customer chefs on flavour trends to help us identify the best forward looking opportunities in the food industry. Our development chef Dan has his own pubs in London and always on the lookout for feedback from the vibrant food scene there.
Vegetarian Express also publish their own annual food trends brochure (2024 Food Trends) and monthly flavours brochure that suppliers can keep an eye on for their own data planning and/or approaching the business. If I was an upcoming food supplier/brand owner and was keen on working with Vegetarian Express, those would be the two key pieces of data I would look at. For example West African cuisine is up and coming trend for us in the next 12 months.
