Driven by strong relationships and brand innovation, Empire Bespoke Foods continues its steady, customer-focused UK growth
As one of the UK’s leading importers and distributors of global food and drink products, family-owned company Empire Bespoke Foods (Empire) is continuing to grow organically. Growth is coming from a combination of building its own brands, including a category leader, and providing first-class private label solutions to the grocery multiples.
Managing Director Chandresh Patel reveals how Empire has been keeping up with an ever-changing UK market: “We work hard to maintain excellent relationships
with our customers and our suppliers. Our customers are key, and we position ourselves as extensions to their own business – we help buyers optimize the categories they manage through consumer insight and well executed product solutions. Our suppliers are equally important, and through trust and open relationships we are able to help them to grow their business. Nothing is static, and the footprint of our business has evolved. Originally, we stocked many American products, whereas now we’re importing more products from across Asia.
“We also pride ourselves on our ability to deliver quality, authentic, private label solutions across multiple categories – as one relationship with Empire unlocks cuisines from around the world. In pickles, as we own the UK’s number-one pickled gherkin brand (Mrs Elswood), we work with suppliers across multiple continents which gives us a unique lens into the global supply of gherkins and other pickled products (such as pickled beetroot or onions). In world food, our network of suppliers stretches across Asia – so whether we are sourcing authentic Indian dals, Thai noodles, or on-trend Korean street food, we have plenty of ideas and solutions.
“Having contributed to the success of the world food category with our own regional brands (Thai Taste, Nem Viet, and Malay Taste), we have recently launched Master Cook – a brand that will carry multiple cuisines from across the world. Master Cook inspires home cooks to become their own master cook and encourages consumers to explore the flavors of the world. At the moment it includes Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian foods – and the portfolio continues to expand”.
Chandresh sees significant headroom for growth – especially in the company’s key brand, Mrs Elswood. “With consumers increasingly motivated by health and sustainability credentials, Mrs Elswood as the category leader is well placed. We have been investing heavily in Mrs Elswood, advertising on the main UK television channels, and driving outdoor visibility through billboards across the country. Focused on incrementality, our innovation takes the category into new spaces with products like Pickle Bites (on-the-go snacking) and fermented Kimchi. We have a pipeline of exciting products to continue the journey.”
Consumer engagement
Consumer engagement Staying one step ahead is important to Chandresh, and to help achieve this, Empire maintains a deep understanding of category performance and trends. “The team visits stores, uses external metrics to analyze what’s in growth or decline, looks for gaps and proposes solutions,” he explains. “Our in-house product developer creates dishes in close collaboration with suppliers, then shares concepts and products with customers.”
Alongside the launch of exciting new brands, Empire has also recently created a new online platform for its customers to order from. “We designed this platform to make B2B ordering quick, easy, and more convenient for everybody,” explains Chandresh. “I’ve seen many independent shops with multiple staff taking orders and then delivering them, so I had this idea allowing our customers to order online themselves, then we just deliver. As a business, we understand how difficult the market can be. We want to help small businesses, making it quick and easy for them to order, and giving them access to exclusive online discounts and helping them curate seasonal promotions.”
As a business, Empire values the role it plays in the community. Whether it’s donating to local food banks, providing a platform for staff to support chosen charities, or adopting a sustainability ethos throughout the business, Empire recognizes its role.
Chandresh expands on the importance of his team at Empire: “We have 55 employees, and some of our staff have been with us for over 20 years. Every six months we come together and share our successes and learnings, as well as our plan going forwards. Everybody is a part of it.”
Following its previous success stories, Empire is looking for more acquisition opportunities in 2026, while ensuring that any potential investment fits the company’s criteria. It also plans to focus on the launch of new brands and Chandresh has a positive outlook for the new year. “We’re working on multiple private label projects at the moment, as well as projects for our own brands,” he concludes. “Because factors like currency or freight are beyond our control, we remain focused on our plan to inspire consumers with every bite while keeping our customers and suppliers happy!”