How we support premium food and drink brands grow in the UK speciality retail market

Naomi Knight
Aug 8
2 min read

Growing a premium food or drink brand in the UK speciality retail market is challenging. Buyers are busy, competition is intense, and even the best products need the right strategy to get on the shelf and stay there.

At Gourmet Partners & Brand Builders, we help premium food and drink brands launch, scale, and thrive.

From strategy to shelf, our expert consultancy and cost-effective, boots-on-the-ground team — our Brand Development Managers — grow your brand’s visibility and open new sales opportunities in the UK retail sector.

More than sales — we build brands

Our Brand Development Managers are more than a sales team. They’re brand growth specialists who work as an extension of your business, building meaningful retailer relationships, generating sales leads, and collecting valuable market insights that you own.

Our unique Brand Builders service includes:

Regional sample presentations — introducing your products directly to targeted UK specialty retailers
Buyer connections, tracked — every store visited and followed up, with clear scoring on interest, sales potential, and next steps
Distributor insight — identifying who retailers buy from and using that data to help you secure new wholesale partners
Bespoke retailer database — a high-value, owned database built exclusively for your brand through live engagement.

Turning store visits into lasting assets

Most retailer databases are expensive, generic, and outdated. We take a different approach.

Over 3, 6, or 12 months, we create a bespoke retailer database for your brand, filled with verified contacts we’ve personally visited, presented your products to, gathered feedback from, and followed up with. This ensures your database is not only accurate but also rich in real connections and actionable insights.

Scoring and distributor strategies for growth

Every retailer in your database is scored (1–5 plus Already Listed) so you know exactly where they stand in the buying process.

We also track which distributors each retailer uses

Enabling us to build a compelling, data-backed case to present to wholesalers you’re not yet listed with.

Proving existing demand for your products within their retail network.

Why it works

Our approach combines brand awareness, real-time market feedback, and sustainable sales growth strategies to deliver both immediate wins and long-term brand success in the UK speciality retail market.

And because we’re fully transparent, you’ll always know which retailers we’ve engaged, what they’ve said, and where the next opportunities are.

Let’s grow your brand together

Whether you’re launching in the UK for the first time or scaling your existing presence, our Brand Development Managers can help you build retailer relationships, expand distribution, and create a sales foundation that lasts.