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Stefano Afonso - Food Point Produce

"From day one, we didn’t want to be just another traditional supplier"

Food Point Produce was founded in 2019 by Stefano Afonso, who had already built years of experience in the fresh produce and catering industries. Recognising an opportunity to bring a fresh approach to the sector, he decided to establish his own business. While launching any new venture comes with challenges—particularly with high start-up costs and cash flow constraints—Stefano's strong relationships and reputation in the industry helped him get off to a solid start, with early customers supporting him.

Food Point Produce is based in New Covent Garden Market and has a diverse range of produce available. They mainly supply the food service industry restaurants, pubs, schools, hospitals, etc.

Championing British produce
"From day one, we didn't want to be just another traditional supplier. We work closely with chefs to understand where food trends are heading and introduce them to new products. It's not just about supply and demand—we want to shift perspectives," explains Stefano. "We wholly support British growers and will source from them when the produce is available, even if it is a bit more expensive than imported produce. It is not all about price, but also about quality, and of course, locally grown produce will have a longer shelf life. We understand that everyone is feeling the pinch, but as an industry, we have to make decisions and if we don't support British growers we will lose them. We need to educate people in the catering industry, show them new products, and explain why they are a bit more expensive than imported ones."

Grownet
"The fresh produce industry can be a bit outdated; we have a young team and we looked at ways to bring tech into the industry, traditionally everything was done in person and on paper. More and more people want to order online and get produce delivered instead of coming into the market. The technology was out there, but it wasn't designed for the fresh produce industry so we worked with Grownet to develop a solution specifically designed for the industry. It had to be accessible for people who are not too tech savvy and it had to understand the challenges we face.

"By integrating technology, we streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance competitiveness—bringing a fresh perspective to a traditionally outdated industry."

For more information:
Dasa
Food Point Produce
dasa@foodpointproduce.co.uk
www.foodpointproduce.co.uk