How Hamidiye Foods secured a new international supply partnership with support from Innovate UK Business Growth

Hamidiye Foods is a Manchester-based food wholesaler supplying a wide range of food and beverage products to businesses across the UK.

Seeking to expand its product offering, the company identified honey as a category with strong growth potential and wanted to introduce a product under the Hamidiye Foods brand.

Innovate UK Business Growth worked closely with Hamidiye Foods to support the development of the new product and establish an international supplier relationship. Through the Enterprise Europe Network, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist Michael Hadfield provided tailored support throughout the project.

The support included:

- Identification of a suitable honey producer in Poland through the Enterprise Europe Network.

- Facilitation of introductions, discussions and ongoing communication between Hamidiye Foods and the Polish producer, supporting the development of a commercial relationship.

- Guidance throughout the development of a private-label product, including packaging and labelling considerations.

- Ongoing support to maintain momentum, overcome communication challenges and progress the project through production and delivery.

- Practical advice on branding, labelling and market presentation, including signposting to relevant guidance on honey labelling and import requirements.

Through the partnership, Innovate UK Business Growth enabled Hamidiye Foods to successfully launch its own private-label honey product, with the first shipment selling to businesses across Northwest England and beyond within hours of arriving in the UK.

The project also established a new UK-Poland supply chain and created an ongoing commercial relationship with potential for further growth and product sourcing.

Reflecting on the partnership, Hasan Ozhan, Managing Director of Hamidiye Foods, said:

"Working with Innovate UK Business Growth has been a great experience. Michael and the team have been extremely helpful and responsive throughout the process, particularly when it came to sourcing new products. His knowledge, attention to detail and ability to understand exactly what we were looking for made the whole process straightforward and efficient. The team were always on point and went above and beyond to provide the right support. I would highly recommend the Innovate UK Business Growth and EEN services to anyone looking for reliable and knowledgeable support."