ALL-FOOD is a Tuscany-based export office. We source directly from vetted Italian producers and coordinate export documentation, consolidation and shipping for UK business buyers — we do not hold stock or operate as a domestic distributor in the UK; every order ships from Italy, built to your specification.
If you're an importer, wholesaler, foodservice distributor, specialty retailer or category buyer looking to add or extend a wholesale Italian food range for UK buyers, tell us what you need below and we'll come back with a producer shortlist and a quote.
Request products and a quote
Tell us your product categories, target quantities, delivery destination in the UK, sales channel (retail, wholesale or foodservice) and any private label requirements. We'll reply with a producer shortlist that can supply the UK, and a quote.
What we can source for UK buyers
Our range spans five core categories, available in a mix of retail and foodservice formats, and products can be combined into a single mixed shipment out of Italy. Minimum order quantity, certifications, shelf life, price and shipping terms depend on the specific products and producers you select — we confirm these once we know your brief, rather than quoting a blanket figure.
- Cheese, from mozzarella and burrata through to hard cheeses and PDO ranges, in retail and foodservice formats. See our Italian cheese range.
- Cured meats and salumi, including our own San Chimento range, in retail packs and foodservice bulk cuts — prosciutto crudo, cotto, mortadella and speciality cuts.
- Pastry and bakery, ambient and frozen formats for retail and foodservice, from biscotti and breakfast pastries through to bulk lines. See our Italian pastry and bakery range.
- Extra virgin olive oil, in retail bottle formats and in bulk. See Italian olive oil.
- Pasta and grains, dry and speciality formats, in retail and foodservice pack sizes. See Italian pasta.
- Preserved foods, sauces, seafood and soft beverages, sourced to brief.
- Private label own-brand programmes across the categories above. See our private label programme.
What UK buyers are dealing with
Buying Italian food into Great Britain sits between an EU purchase and a full import. Three things are true at once:
- Duty. Goods of EU origin enter the UK at zero tariff under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, provided they satisfy the rules of origin and the supplier can evidence it. That evidence is the supplier's job — see our post on which producers can legally ship to your market.
- Customs and VAT. Zero tariff is not the same as no customs: a customs declaration is still required and import VAT still applies.
- Sanitary and phytosanitary controls. Products of animal origin — cheese and cured meats above all — are risk-categorised. Medium-risk goods require an export health certificate signed on the Italian side and a pre-notification submitted in IPAFFS at least one working day before arrival, with entry through a point of entry with a relevant border control post. Requirements vary by product and risk category, and not every producer can support them — we check this before a producer reaches your shortlist.
The UK and the EU have agreed a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement that the UK government currently intends to bring into effect around mid-2027, expected to remove export health certificates and routine border checks for most agrifood goods moving between Great Britain and the EU — customs controls would remain. This is a proposal and timeline the UK government has stated, not yet in force, so we build ranges today on producers who can already certify rather than waiting for it.
How we work with a UK buyer
We start with your channel and your price architecture rather than with a catalogue. A range for a national retailer, a range for a wholesale delivered business and a range for an independent deli group are three different sourcing problems, and the producer that suits one is often wrong for the others.
We then shortlist producers who can meet UK requirements, not just producers who make good product. We check certification, plant capability, format and pack availability, and whether the producer can supply the origin and health documentation the UK entry process requires. Producers who cannot do not reach your shortlist.
We consolidate. Most UK buyers building an Italian range are buying small volumes across many producers, which is exactly the situation that makes direct sourcing uneconomic. We combine your products into one mixed shipment out of Italy, so you take one pallet rather than eight separate small orders with eight sets of documents.
We stay in it after the first order. Reorder cycles, seasonal availability, format changes and price movement all get handled from the Italian side, in English, by people who can drive to the plant.
Who we work with in the UK
- Importers and distributors building or extending an Italian range.
- Wholesalers supplying independent retail and foodservice.
- HORECA suppliers serving restaurants, pizzerias and hotel groups.
- Specialty, gourmet and delicatessen retail.
- Category managers at retail chains looking for a private label or own-brand Italian range.
Private label for a UK own-brand range
We run private label programmes across cured meats, bakery, cheese and oil. ALL-FOOD owns the brand specification and Italian producers manufacture to it, which means a UK buyer can put an own-brand Italian range on shelf without negotiating individually with each plant. Certifications available across our range include IFS Food, BRC Food, ICEA organic, antibiotic-free and gluten-free, and IGP designations on specific products. Which apply depends on the product and the plant, so we confirm them per line rather than blanket.
Read more about our private label programme.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay import duty on Italian food coming into the UK?
Goods of EU origin enter at zero tariff under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, provided the rules of origin are met and the supplier can evidence origin. Zero tariff is not the same as no customs: a customs declaration is still required and import VAT still applies.
Do Italian cheese and cured meats need an export health certificate for the UK?
It depends on the specific product and its UK import risk category, not a blanket yes. Products of animal origin are risk-categorised, and medium-risk goods, which covers many cheeses and cured meats, require an export health certificate signed on the Italian side; some lower-risk composite products may not. This is why a producer's ability to certify matters before you select them.
What is IPAFFS and when does the notification have to be made?
IPAFFS is the UK system for pre-notifying imports of animal products, plants and high-risk food. For products of animal origin, the standard requirement is a pre-notification submitted at least one working day before the goods are expected to arrive in Great Britain; other commodity categories can carry different lead times, so we confirm the applicable deadline per product.
Can any Italian producer ship to the UK?
No, and this is the single most common reason a UK project stalls. A producer needs the plant approvals and the documentation capability to support UK entry. Plenty of excellent Italian producers who supply the EU without difficulty cannot currently support a UK shipment. We check this before a producer reaches your shortlist.
Is any of this about to get easier?
The UK and the EU have proposed a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, expected to take effect around mid-2027, that would remove export health certificates and routine border checks for most agrifood goods moving between Great Britain and the EU. This is not yet in force: the timeline and scope remain government proposals rather than a guaranteed outcome, and customs controls would remain regardless. We build UK ranges today on producers who can already certify, rather than waiting for it.
What is your minimum order?
There is no single figure. It depends on the market, the product family, and whether you are taking a mixed pallet or a single line. Tell us the products and the volume you are planning and we will confirm the minimum for that specific range.
Can I get samples before committing?
Yes. Sample requests are handled per producer and we will tell you the lead time when we shortlist.
Request products and a quote
Tell us your product categories, target quantities, destination in the UK, sales channel and any private label requirements. We will come back with a producer shortlist that can actually supply the UK, and a quote.