Advice re business idea

Hi Pete, Whilst I admire your entrepreneurial spirit, the only thing I miss are decent tea bags.  Marmite is an annual purchase and I can live without it.  The rest? Personally I'm happy to have left most of that stuff behind. My family are originally from LA and there is a famous (and well supported) English food store in Santa Monica. It has to be said though that there are probably more British Ex-pats in LA than the whole of Italy.  Make sure you have your demographics right and do some thorough market research.  This is a good start...

I don't want to sound too negative but I'm not sure that your prospective market is big enough. There are only around 35,000 brits living in Italy for most of the year out of a country population of over 60 million.  Compare that to Spain, for example, where the number is around 750,000.

whilst i ALWAYS admire new initiatives and entreprenurial sprit there are a few things to consider first.Firstly as a company importing we presume in an INTRASTAT regime (ie from other E.U. states like the UK.)( That means exempt from VAT on the invoices from say the UK ,which then has to be added immediately at the local rate once in Italy.You would immediately be subject to what are described as the toughest health laws vis a vis foodstuffs in the world.The premesis which you would require in order to stock even dry/cured/bottled/preserved goods would have to have specific requisites and  be in a highly controlled situation.In order not to be tedious which further details on the fiscal/health law front the next questions would concern the market.You could be suprised to discover that some of the most popular brands/items that you may be considering are already taken.That is that certain Italian food companies already have  exclusive distributive agreements with certain British food companies ,even if certain single products are not actually or actively imported because considered that they would not be appreciated by the Italian market (horlicks anyone?)and as of course our friend in LA correctly points out there may well not actually be enough brits in Italy to justify such an enterprise.A last point concerns bacon.Italy is a large producer of bacon and exports too in quantities.Unlike a lot of bacon to be found nowadays in the UK often rindless unsmoked stuff chemically treated it is still with rind and properly smoked and is very good.It is readily available in better supermarkets or shops with cured meats etc.i live in a rural area and can get it easily enough it is still cut off a large back (like the old days) rather than being in a packet.I sincerely believe that the worst approach would be to buy a refrigerator van to start.All this DOES NOT mean that it is not a good idea to start a food company simply that it is worth considering IN DEPTH all the aspects concerned as you presumably would were you in the UK.

First of all, I would like to say that I have NO idea what laws govern importing foodstuffs into Italy . I would just like to tell you about an English store here in Belgium. This has now been running since 1982. It all began when the founder, who worked for an oil company, would bring sweets back from his regular trips to the UK for his children who would take them to the British School, to their schoolmates’ great envy! As a result, he was asked by them to set up an English sweet stall at his children’s Fancy Fair at the school. The sweets barely made it onto the stall! Over time, he would bring back more and more stuff in his car until he realised that he could make more money by just setting up shop, which he did. We now have an enormous British shop just outside Brussels (http://www.stonemanor.uk.com/) with a very good selection of British and some American food products and which has expanded into books, magazines, cards, household goods, furniture (!)… It has been a great success, albeit with problems along the way, not least planning permission from the local Flemish commune who don’t really like to see “foreign” competition. My only connection with the shop is that, from time to time, I potter along to buy Refreshers which I love, magazines and “cardboard bread”  (Mother’s Pride) which my son loves!

This might be worth you looking at as food for thought.. http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/ Could you do it cheaper and still make some worthwhile income?   Am  

I'm sorry to sound negative, but in most respects Italian food is superior to British food. I can't imagine why people would want British bacon, to take the example given, which is usually wet slimy stuff in packets. Or British chocolate, which is mainly sugar and fat and has a very low cocoa solids content. Italian tea is weak, I grant you, unlike the coffee! As other people have suggested, you would need to do a lot of research to find out if there really is a big enough market to make importing foodstuffs worthwhile. And Italian bureaucracy is a nightmare, you would certainly have to jump through no end of administrative, legal and health regulations. On a more positive note- the children's sweets suggestion sounds promising- it obviously worked in Belgium. And children's clothes are horribly expensive in Italy, it's easier to find cheap and trendy clothes in the UK, so that might be an avenue worth exploring. On the other hand, the Italian birthrate is very low... If you do decide to go ahead I wish you the very best of luck! Let us know how you get on. BEst wishes, KarenSheffield

There is a "British Shop" in Cassino which has been open for a few years but the prices are REALLY high. There are fewer British people around this area compared to further north but I do know that the shop is known to some Italians near me and they like to go and buy some chocolate or tea from it.  I went in, saw the prices and walked out again but saying that I am not living full time in Italy so bring over what I need in my suitcase.  It may be different when I am actually living over there.   Having lived abroad before for some years I made a point on living on the food of the country and when someone came over to visit me would ask them to bring bacon (I lived in Denmark but couldn't buy bacon!!), tea bags, etc., with them.   Best of luck whatever your decision.   Maralyn

Just go with it. Yes, do your research etc., but I bet you will succeed in this venture if you don't lose your enthusiasm. We're bringing tea bags (good old yorkshire T) and brown sauce for our own use. You snooze, you lose. You're obviously proactive, so good on you. At least you're doing something different and rather important. All the best, Joy  

  While they have good food in Italy, they also have some pretty average food In our part of the country ( The lakes)we  have some superb local producers, for Bacons,  hams, cheese, game, salami, and the Waberthwaite dry cured ham  as good as Parma. Take our meat must be some of the best in the world, and far superior than you can get in Italy In season, raspberry, strawberry, asparagus etc  root vegetables, potatoes, carrots etc. Don!t really want to bang on but could do!! Sorry KarrenSheffield,  but really have to bang the drum for British food                        

Hi, Aceto and welcome.  I personally love Italian food and I get Earl Grey teabags which are the same as I could get at home. Lidl stocks British bacon or something like it now but I've no idea if it's any good.  What I do miss, though, are spices for Indian cooking and stuff like that.  I know there are ethnic stores stocking them but the nearest to me is in Ragusa.  Have you thought about importing dry items like that?  Good luck whatever you decide to do.

My husband was in Italy for a few months last year and when I was due out he asked me to bring some good old Sarsons malt vinegar with me because he couldn't buy "decent vinegar in Italy"!!!!!!   Heathen!!!!   Maralyn

Seems to be turning into a debate on English versus Italian food!, I think what I have found here in Marche is that the Italians love their food, they have preserved its authenticity, and have a culture of eating well and heathily. To me everything tastes better than the UK, the tomatos, the vegetables, and the locally raised meat. Most is organically grown, and doesnt travel a million miles to be on your plate for dinner.   And if I want comfort "English " food I will have mashed potato and sausages, so you can adapt your ingredients to suit your mood!, we are lucky to have a local Asian supermarket so curry is catered for as well. And I make my own pickles and jam, so no need to my mind to hanker for a dose of English ingredients?

  If we’re moving into a debate on Italian v. British food then can I please join the mêlée?! I am an Italian who has lived almost all her life in places other than Italy, although I now have a holiday, soon-to be-retirement home, in Umbria, and I am married to a Brit. I love my food, full stop, as can be seen by my girth which is not a size “0”, and have decided that good food is what I like and not what others say is good. For example, my Roman mother cannot understand why I do not like tripe: “But it is delicious, especially if you cook it the Roman way, which is, of course, the best”. Yuk, however well it is cooked and wherever it comes from! Kidneys: “Oh, but steak and kidney pie is out of this world” says an English friend. Re-yuk!  “Rognons à la moutarde done the French way” says a French friend “the ONLY way to eat kidneys!” Double re-yuk!! But you should see their faces when I say my Sicilian father’s favourite way of eating pasta is simply adding butter and...wait for it...MARMITE! So, now my parents, both Italian and in their 90s and back in Italy since the ‘70s, have a standing order with me for Marmite. Other items on their list? Dettol, biscuits, especially shortbread, jelly, tea, powdered gelatine, ’decent’ icing sugar without the addition of anti-caking agents,  ‘proper’ dried fruit for their Christmas cake which is not panettone or pandoro but a good old-fashioned English fruit-cake, or their Easter cake which is a Simnel cake and not a colomba, treacle, golden syrup, and I could go on. However, if you ask either of them if Italian food is not good you get a cold stare and a brief “What a stupid question! It’s the best in the world!” My biggest gripe is Umbrian bread - I find it tasteless and boring, so I have resorted to buying all kinds of interesting flours here in Belgium and bringing it with me when I go to Italy and I make my own.  My conclusion, especially when I look at what I bring back from the UK when I go over, is that some things have become part of my culinary heritage and “good” doesn’t come into it. I make a killer lasagne but I also make an awesome Shepherd’s Pie and fantastic Waterzooi. The latter being a Belgian dish of chicken or seafood stewed in a creamy leek, carrot and onion base and served with mash. So, if you can get a good client base of people who miss the strangest of things, I say, go for it, I wouldn't buy baked beans but I would buy Refreshers!

May I have the recipe for Waterzooi plse Raggio?!, sounds delicious.

  Waterzooi This is the recipe I gave my daughter when she went off to university and she says it's always been a success with her mates. It's easy to increase quantities to serve as many as you like. Ingredients for one serving 1 chicken breast (or 200 gr firm fish – cod, salmon etc)  1 onion, 1 leek, 2 carrots  Knob of butter  Parsley  3 tbsps light cream  Instructions Chop vegetables. Put to soften gently in the butter.  When soft, add the chicken and chopped parsley and add a little water. Allow to simmer gently until the chicken (or fish) is cooked – about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the cream and let it warm through.  Serve with rice or mashed potatoes. 

...your thread has been hijacked, though maybe everyone's ramblings will help consolidate your thoughts.   Anyway - Yummmm - I'm doing that chicken thing (presumably Flemish - or is it Walloon - can't remember which are the non-French speakers) and I'm DEFINITELY trying "tagliatelle allo Marmite" Really interesting to hear an Italian view with a nod to Britishness.  Any more cross-cultural musings Raggio??

Have sent you a pm Robert

Have sent you a pm Robert

I am sure there is always work for "a man with a van" and that could include bringing food stuff over for people. The only things I still import are teabags, marmite oxo cubes and spices/curry powders. Having said that, I've just bought a huge amount of baby stuff from the UK as the price of it here is at least 50% and often 100% more. Also 2nd-hand furniture here is very scarce and expensive. Have you though of bringing stuff like that over and maybe getting a merket stall? I'm not sure you'd need a refridgerated van. I can't think of any cold stuff from the UK that I would buy to be honest. One thing I would say is that yu would need to have proper insurance for people's stuff if you were bringing that over.

I agree with Angie and Robert and also with Raggio aboput good food being what you like.  It is natural to miss things, if only because you can't get them!   It just occurred to me that a lot of British people here say they can't make decent mince pies or stuffing at Xmas because they can't get suet so maybe that's one for your list, Aceto?  Making these things doesn't mean they don't appreciate Italian food.  It's just nice to mix traditions sometimes and astound Italian friendss with a taste of Britain!

Interesting article    on Yahoo  Croissants to Carcassone

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/09/british-expats-france-supermarket-deliveries It's France not Italy but interesting nonetheless