Building a premium global food brand in the UK: Olina’s Bakehouse
Case study: UK market entry, distribution and national retail growth
Overview: from international brand to UK retail success
Since 2020, Gourmet Partners Ltd has partnered with Olina’s Bakehouse, owned by Gourmet Food Holdings Pty Ltd, to successfully launch, scale and establish the brand within the UK food and drink market.
What began as specialist representation within the UK independent and speciality retail sector evolved into a fully integrated UK operation — spanning national sales, distributor partnerships, brand building and direct importation via Gourmet Partners Imports Ltd.
This long-term partnership demonstrates how Gourmet Partners supports international premium food brands entering the UK market — building commercial credibility, securing trusted UK distribution and unlocking national retail listings through disciplined, relationship-led growth.
The challenge: entering the competitive UK premium snacking market
When Olina’s Bakehouse entered the UK market, it faced several common challenges for international food and drink brands:
- Low brand awareness in a crowded premium snacking category
- The need for credible UK distribution partners
- Limited national sales coverage
- Strong competition across crackers, gluten-free and free-from segments
- The requirement to demonstrate commercial performance — not just artisan positioning
Success required more than listings. It required retailer confidence, repeat purchase and sustainable rate of sale.
Our approach: a structured UK route-to-market strategy
From the outset, Gourmet Partners positioned Olina’s Bakehouse as a premium yet commercially accessible brand within the UK speciality retail landscape.
We strengthened the brand’s foundations by focusing on:
- Clear UK pricing architecture aligned to retail margins
- Distinct premium positioning within the grazing and snacking category
- A scalable, well-structured product range
- Inclusive dietary credentials, including gluten-free and vegan
Through our Brand Builders service, we implemented a phased UK go-to-market strategy designed for sustainable growth.
Our integrated support included:
- Building distribution across independent retailers, farm shops and food halls
- Deploying field-based sales managers to drive listings and repeat orders
- Establishing trusted UK distributor partnerships for national coverage
- Supporting wholesale sell-through with retailer-level brand activation
- Representing the brand at trade shows and industry events
- Securing trade press coverage to build credibility
Building the foundations: independent and speciality retail first
Before targeting national multiples, we focused on building strong foundations within independent and speciality retail.
This approach helped establish:
- Proven rate of sale and repeat purchase
- Reliable UK supply chain performance
- Strong category positioning alongside cheese and entertaining occasions
- Credibility within gluten-free and free-from segments
- Consistent brand visibility in premium retail environments
These foundations created the commercial evidence required for national retail expansion.
Key milestone: securing a Waitrose listing
With independent traction and UK distribution in place, Gourmet Partners supported Olina’s Bakehouse in securing a strategic listing with Waitrose.
This milestone reflected:
- Demonstrated consumer demand
- Strong sales performance across independent accounts
- Operational readiness at scale
- Brand positioning aligned to premium UK retail standards
The Waitrose listing marked the brand’s transition from specialist favourite to nationally recognised premium food brand in the UK.
Brand evolution and long-term growth
In March 2021, Mondelēz International acquired Gourmet Food Holdings Pty Ltd, reinforcing the global strength of Olina’s Bakehouse.
Looking ahead, refreshed branding and an expanded product range will:
- Increase shelf impact in UK multiples
- Broaden consumer appeal
- Strengthen category penetration
- Unlock new growth opportunities
Gourmet Partners continues to support the UK strategy to ensure long-term commercial success.
A new chapter: Gourmet Partners Imports Ltd
In 2025, Gourmet Partners established Gourmet Partners Imports Ltd, responsible for the exclusive importation and distribution of Olina’s Bakehouse into the UK and EU.
This enables:
- Direct purchasing and stock control
- Improved margin structure
- Greater logistics efficiency
- Centralised UK commercial management
- Strategic EU expansion planning
“Fine Food Holdings has been working with Gourmet Partners – Consultancy & Brand Builders since 2020. From our initial setup in the UK market, they have built sales from zero to in excess of AU$1 million.
Having secured listings with key UK distributors, Gourmet Partners then helped us build brand awareness at retailer level — supporting our wholesale partners to win new customers and drive sell-through. This ultimately resulted in securing partnerships with leading UK retailers, including Waitrose.
It’s the perfect solution for driving sales from the warehouse to the shop shelves and, ultimately, to the consumer’s plate.”
Daniel Tamburrini, Olina’s Bakehouse
The result: a proven UK food brand growth story
Today, Olina’s Bakehouse benefits from:
- Full UK sales and distribution coverage
- Strong brand equity within speciality and premium retail
- National retail listings including Waitrose
- Scalable route-to-market infrastructure
- Sales growth from zero to over AU$1 million in the UK
Why this case study matters
For premium food and drink brands looking to enter or scale in the UK market, this case study demonstrates our ability to:
- Develop structured UK market entry strategies
- Secure trusted UK distributor partnerships
- Build credibility through independent retail
- Drive retailer sell-through — not just listings
- Transition brands into national multiples
- Deliver sustainable long-term commercial growth
This is not a short-term listing story.
It is a blueprint for sustainable UK growth in the food and drink industry.