Food wholesaler boxes clever to deliver results
A FOOD wholesaler has launched a Far Eastern recipe box service after seeing its catering orders nosedive during lockdown.
The family behind Ocean King, which distributes fresh and frozen food to restaurants, pubs and takeaways, decided they had to react when so many of their customers were forced to close.
They launched BeFood from their base in Loughborough – supplying fresh, boxed ingredients to homes.
Initially supplying households within 15 miles of the town, the service – thought to be the first of its kind in Leicestershire – is now being extended nationally.
Ocean King is owned and run by Steve Thai and his family. Sales from wholesale business fell more than 90 per cent following the national shutdown, so Steve came up with the idea of a restaurant-quality grocery and food delivery service to support people struggling with shopping.
He has also secured an alcohol licence.
He said: “When the coronavirus crisis hit, our Far Eastern wholesale fresh and frozen food business, Ocean King, was hit hard.
“However, we felt the impact of the global pandemic from much earlier on as people grew nervous about going out to eat.
“Some of the Chinese restaurant trade started to see a decline in bookings from Chinese New Year, at the end of January.
“As the UK lockdown came into effect, we were forced to put a large part of our wholesale business on hold, which was heartbreaking but unavoidable.
“At the same time, we could see our communities struggling to get deliveries from major supermarkets.
“We had a warehouse full of the best quality ingredients ready to go and we knew we could help.
“From this urgent need, and the belief we could help our community, BeFood delivery service was born.
“What started out as a necessity soon turned into growing business with repeat orders, even when supermarket delivery slots became available again.“
In recent weeks more recipe boxes have been added, including a vegan option. Further vegan/vegetarian meal boxes are being explored.
The venture has helped Ocean King bring staff back into the business. At the start of lockdown 87 per cent of its workforce was furloughed, which has steadily improved.
The main business is now trading at about 70 per cent of what it was preCovid but will miss the £10 million trading target it had hoped to hit this year.
Steve – who runs Ocean King with his mum, dad and four brothers – said the authentic specialities they were now offering are a “world away” from supermarket staples.
He said the business ethic and its family values stemmed from the family’s journey to the UK as refugees from Vietnam.
The 23-year-old business now employs 27 people and has a 10,000 sq ft storage and logistics facility in Loughborough.
Steve said: “It’s been a hard year and it’s thrown many business and personal challenges my way.
“In these difficult times, having family around has really anchored me and reminded me what really matters.
“As a family and as a business we’re used to hard work. While I was still a baby, my mother and father came from war-torn Vietnam.
“Their experience has taught us even when things get tough, you keep on going.
“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we have to stay agile and adapt. Be prepared to change strategy, and move quickly to take advantage of opportunities.
“The customer need is still there, it’s just in different places.”