Italian flair

Sydney-based food distribution firm Torino is bringing a family flavour to kitchens across the city with a whole host of products, from Italian-inspired ingredients to American-made cheeses.

Family-owned company Torino Food Distributors carries a huge range of local and imported products and has a service offering that always puts its clients first.

Torino’s owners have been in the food business for more than 20 years and have forged links with major suppliers enabling it to offer a wide selection of produce, from dairy and seafood, to frozen and packaged goods.

The company’s origins lie in the formation of a co-operative of pizza shop operators that had decided to consolidate their purchases and buy in bulk.

“The Carageorge family purchased the business as a small warehouse and one van operation,” explains general manager Paul Carageorge.

“Torino was originally a sole supplier of pizza shops, but now serves the broad food service sector with more than 1,500 lines of product that are readily stocked.”

Today it operates 16 trucks and serves businesses in Sydney from its 5,000 square metre warehouse.
Like many other businesses across the country, Torino has witnessed what Carageorge describes as the “evaporation of its profit margins”.

“We have to constantly source new products and suppliers to help keep costs as low as possible for our customers,” he remarks.

“That has become our first priority, but second to that it is important that we continue to source products that will help us remain a profitable entity, so that we can continue to invest in our business, as we have done for the last 20 years.”

The increase in the power of the corporate food service suppliers such as PFD and Bidvest has led the firm to join the Countrywide Network, which is Australia’s largest national group of independent foodservice distributors.

“This national entity incorporates some of the largest independent food service companies in Australia and helps them compete on a national platform,” says Carageorge.

Dairy dons

Torino speciality is its dairy offering, but it is also known for its wide array of products developed under its very own Sapore brand.

This brand’s products include mozzarella cheese, flour, tomatoes, olives, olive oil and antipasto products.
“We are also the sole New South Wales distributor of Greci Prontofresco products, which is a high-end Italian line of tomato and antipasto products.

The company imports large quantities of mozzarella from America including the popular USA-made stretched curd mozzarella, which Carageorge says has become its most in-demand product due to its great taste and quality, as well as its low price.

“The food service sector has changed drastically since the company began,” says Carageorge. “Like all business sectors the amount of legislation that it needs to adhere to has increased overwhelmingly and food safety standards have improved through OHS and HACCP accreditations.” In order help it to meet these challenges, Torino’s modern fleet of vehicles is regularly updated, serviced and cleaned.

“As far as the actual marketplace is concerned we have seen many changes,” remarks Carageorge. “There have been moves toward low labour cost products, such as ready-to-go products and sliced, shredded, cooked or marinated pre-prepared goods.”

Chef’s choice

Torino has adopted a reliable backordering system that ensures none of its customer go without stock.

“We offer daily deliveries to the Sydney metropolitan area and accept orders up until 3am for that day delivery,” notes Carageorge.

“We are one of the last family-owned and -operated food service companies in New South Wales,” claims Carageorge. “With Torino, you are always able to talk to a decision maker, as we take pride in being able to react quickly to the demands and needs of our customers.”

The firm, which has 35 employees, has retained a positive approach to its business dealings despite experiencing fluctuations in growth due to the GFC, and has ambitious plans for the next five years.

“We plan to move to larger premise and enhance our reputation as Sydney’s most reliable food service distributor as well as expanding into rural New South Wales,” declares Carageorge.

“Instead of laying people off, we decided to bolster our sales team,” he adds.

In recent months, the firm has employed two new area sales representatives, enabling it to generate new leads and increase its marketing presence; all of which has led to more sales.

By being proactive during a time of economic sluggishness within the food industry, Torino has continued to bring great tasting food and mouth-watering deals to its expanding customer base across Sydney.

www.torino.com.au