How to get your food or drink product stocked in farm shops and delis
Independent delis and farm shops buy differently from supermarkets. There is usually one owner or buyer, orders are small, and they choose products their customers can't find anywhere else. This guide covers how to get ready, find the right shops, write the first email, and turn a first order into a regular one.
1. Get ready before you pitch
A buyer will ask the same handful of questions every time. Have the answers ready before the first email goes out.
Work out your trade price from the shelf price
The shop sets the shelf price (the RRP) and keeps a margin. Your trade price is what is left. Start from the price the product needs to sit at on the shelf, then work backwards:
Trade price = shelf price excluding VAT × (1 − the shop's margin)
A jar of chutney with a £5.50 shelf price, in a shop that works to a 35% margin: £5.50 × 0.65 = £3.58 trade.
Most food is zero-rated for VAT, so the shelf price and the price excluding VAT are the same. Crisps, confectionery, soft drinks and alcohol are standard-rated, so take the VAT off the shelf price first.
Margins vary from shop to shop, so ask each buyer what they work to. If your costs don't leave room for their margin at a sensible shelf price, fix that before you pitch.
Set terms a small shop can say yes to
- Case size. Six or twelve units is easier for a small shop to take than twenty-four.
- Minimum order. Low enough for a first order, high enough that delivery is worth it for you.
- Delivery. Say what it costs and when it becomes free.
- Shelf life. Buyers will ask. Longer shelf life means less risk for them.
Have the paperwork in order
- Food business registration with your local council. It's free, and you need it to sell food in the UK.
- Labels that follow UK food labelling rules, including allergens in bold in the ingredients list.
- Product liability insurance. Many shops ask for it before they stock you.
- Barcodes, if the shop scans at the till. Not every independent needs them, so ask.
Put it all on one page
A trade sheet answers the buyer's questions before they ask: your range with photos, trade price and RRP for each product, case sizes, minimum order, delivery terms, shelf life, and how to order or request a sample. A link works better than a PDF attachment, because buyers often read it on their phone between customers.
2. Find the shops that fit
Ten shops that suit your product beat a hundred that don't. A good fit usually means:
- They already stock products like yours, so their customers buy in your category.
- They have a gap you fill: no local hot sauce, no vegan cheese, no low-alcohol option.
- Your price sits comfortably next to what is already on their shelves.
- They are close enough for you to deliver, or they order through a platform you sell on.
Before you get in touch, look at the shop's website and social accounts. You'll learn what they stock, whether they say they want new suppliers, and the name of the person who buys. Shops that champion local producers are a strong first target if you're nearby.
Pitch ahead of the season
Shops plan seasonal ranges well before customers start buying them. Many plan Christmas in late summer and early autumn, so a gift product pitched in December is usually too late. Think about when your product sells best and get in touch a few months before.
Other places to meet buyers
- Trade shows. The Farm Shop & Deli Show in Birmingham each spring and the Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London each September are built for this.
- Wholesale marketplaces. Faire, Ankorstore and DELLI Marketplace let shops find you and order online.
- Awards. A Great Taste award gives a buyer a reason to try you, and a line for your email.
3. Write the first email
Buyers get plenty of supplier emails. The ones that get replies are short, specific to the shop, and easy to say yes to.
- Write to a person. The owner or buyer by name, if you can find them, rather than a shared inbox.
- Open with them, not you. Mention something real about their shop: a product they stock, a post about wanting local suppliers.
- Say what you make and why it fits. One or two sentences.
- Give one piece of proof. An award, a shop nearby that stocks you, or how fast it sells.
- Make one small ask. "Could I send you a few bottles to try?" is easier to answer than "Would you like to stock us?"
- Link your trade sheet so they can check prices without replying.
Subject: Smoked habanero for the deli counter
Hi Sarah,
I saw on your site that you're after small producers from the South West for the deli counter. We make small-batch chilli sauces in Bristol, and our Smoked Habanero sits well next to a chutney range. It won a Great Taste star this year.
Could I send you a few bottles to try? Prices and terms are on our trade sheet: [link]
Thanks,
Sam, Wildfire Chilli Co
Stay on the right side of the rules
Under the UK's Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), you can send a marketing email to a limited company without asking first, as long as you say who you are and give them an easy way to opt out. Sole traders and some partnerships are treated like individuals, so you need their consent. If anyone asks you to stop, stop straight away and keep a note so you never email them again.
4. Samples and visits
Tasting usually decides it. When a buyer says yes to samples, send enough to try and to share with staff, with your trade sheet in the box and a note saying when you'll follow up.
If you'd rather visit in person, ask first and pick a quiet time. A Saturday lunchtime is the worst moment to ask a shop owner for ten minutes.
5. Follow up without being a pest
Silence rarely means no. Buyers are serving customers, doing deliveries and running the shop. A polite follow-up a week or so later often gets the reply.
- Keep each follow-up shorter than the last, and add something new: a new flavour, a stockist nearby, a seasonal angle.
- Two follow-ups is plenty. After that, move on and try again next season.
- If they reply, stop the sequence and answer them yourself.
6. Turn the first order into reorders
The first order is a trial. The reorder is the real win.
- Deliver when you said you would, with an invoice that's easy to pay.
- Offer shelf talkers, a tasting day or social posts tagging the shop, to help it sell through.
- Check in after a few weeks to ask how it's selling, and whether they want to reorder or try another product.
Questions makers ask
What margin do farm shops and delis expect?
It varies by shop and category, so ask each buyer what they work to. Then work backwards: trade price = shelf price excluding VAT × (1 − their margin). If that trade price doesn't cover your costs, rethink the shelf price or the pack size before you pitch.
Do I need to register as a food business to sell to shops?
Yes. In the UK you register with your local council as a food business. Registration is free, and you should do it before you start trading.
Do I need product liability insurance?
Many shops ask for it before they will stock you, so it's worth having before you start pitching.
When should I pitch Christmas products?
Many shops plan their Christmas range in late summer and early autumn. Get in touch then, not in December.
Can I email shops I haven't spoken to before?
You can email limited companies without asking first, under the UK's PECR rules, if you say who you are and give them an easy way to opt out. Sole traders and some partnerships need to have agreed first. Stop straight away if anyone asks.
Find the shops that should stock you.
DELLI Growth finds UK buyers who fit what you make, writes the email, sends it from your inbox and follows up.