International Gourmet Foods

What International Gourmet Foods does

International Gourmet Foods (IGF INC) is a privately held, family-owned wholesale distributor of gourmet specialty food products founded in 1987 by Maurizio DiBenigno and currently led by his daughter, President Christine DiBenigno (appointed December 2019). The company sources and distributes more than 7,000 SKUs across approximately 35 product categories — including cheeses, charcuterie, mushrooms and truffles, seafood specialties, Asian specialties, baking and pastry ingredients, proteins, oils, vinegars, pastas, and non-food items — to food service operators across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest United States.

IGF operates five distribution hubs: a new state-of-the-art central headquarters in Woodbridge, Virginia (opened April 2024 after breaking ground in March 2022), a legacy Springfield, Virginia warehouse, a Southeast distribution center in Charleston, South Carolina, an Atlanta, Georgia facility near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and a newer Chicago-area warehouse in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The company runs its own fleet of all-temperature trucks delivering frozen, refrigerated, and ambient product five days a week within its core regions, and uses common carriers, UPS, and Fed-Ex for the rest of the country.

The business model is sales-led B2B wholesale distribution: dedicated sales executives serve restaurants, gourmet markets, clubs, caterers, bakeries, breweries, wineries, and hotels with quote-based pricing, low order minimums, and late order cutoffs. Marketing channels include 'Shift Drink' after-hours product showcase events, email, the corporate website, and organic social on Facebook and Instagram. Differentiation rests on the breadth of the 7,000-SKU catalog sourced globally, expert category specialists (Cheese, Pastry, and a Corporate Chef Savory), and the owned all-temperature delivery infrastructure. IGF remains a private family business with no disclosed external investors and no public revenue figures.

Name

International Gourmet Foods

Legal name

IGF INC

Website

https://igf-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

International Gourmet Foods is a private, family-owned wholesale distributor of 7,000+ gourmet specialty food SKUs, serving restaurants, caterers, bakeries, hotels, and gourmet retailers across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest U.S. via its own all-temperature truck fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Food Distribution

NAICS

Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers (424440)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Distribution (CRAOABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI), Import/Export Broadline Foodservice Distributors (AFAIAAAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale food distribution
• Gourmet specialty foods
• Food service supply
• Specialty ingredients distribution
• Imported food products

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Food Distribution: IGF generates revenue through wholesale distribution of gourmet specialty food products to food service businesses including restaurants, gourmet markets, clubs, caterers, bakeries, breweries, wineries, and hotels. Revenue is derived from product sales at wholesale prices with order minimums and volume-based transactions. The company offers both specialty gourmet items and commodity items.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International Gourmet Foods is a wholesale B2B distributor of gourmet specialty food products, offering over 7,000 SKUs sourced from around the world to food service businesses. The company sources, warehouses, and delivers a broad catalog of specialty and commodity food items spanning appetizers, cheeses, proteins, pastas, oils, condiments, and non-food disposables via all-temperature trucks to restaurants, gourmet markets, clubs, caterers, bakeries, breweries, wineries, and hotels.

Product overview

International Gourmet Foods is a wholesale distribution company offering a single unified portfolio of gourmet specialty food products rather than a platform architecture. The company distributes over 7,000 products from all around the world, originally starting with just four items (sundried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, saffron, and pasta). The product portfolio spans multiple categories including Appetizers, Asian Specialties, Baking & Pastry Ingredients, Bar Service, Beans & Legumes, Beverages, Breads & Wraps, Candies & Sweets, Charcuterie & Deli, Cheese (with a Cheese Plate Program for manageable portions), Chips & Snacks, Condiments & Sauces, Dairy Products, Desserts, Flours & Grains, Fruits, Honeys & Syrups, Jams & Preserves, Micro Program for specialty garnishes, Mushrooms & Truffles, Non-food Products, Nuts & Seeds, Oils & Shortenings, Olives, Pastas, Proteins, Salts & Spices, Seafood Specialties, Seasonal Items, Sugars & Sweeteners, Vegetables, and Vinegars. The company operates as a pure wholesale distributor without technology products or software offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dolce Europa: In-house appetizer brand mentioned on the Appetizers page

Products and services

• Appetizers Oven-ready appetizer bites crafted for food service that deliver consistent quality and taste, designed to save time and labor for events.
• Asian Specialties Wide variety of noodles, thirteen-month fermented Japanese Shoyu, Black Garlic Molasses, and other authentic Asian ingredients sourced from high-quality sources in the East.
• Baking & Pastry Ingredients Extensive line of baking and pastry ingredients including additives, stabilizers, chocolates, finishings, flavorings, premixes, and gelato supplies, supported by a dedicated Baking and Pastry Specialist.
• Bar Service Wide selection of bar products including bitters, mixers, purees, syrups, and other ingredients for mixology professionals.
• Beans & Legumes Selection of beans, lentils, and pulses including black beans, Tarbais beans, French-style green lentils, and black belugas for soups, stews, and vegetarian protein options.
• Beverage Items Unique and refreshing range of non-alcoholic beverages including bubbly, caffeinated, nutrient-filled, and hydrating options to set restaurants apart.
• Breads, Tortillas, & Wraps Diverse blend of breads including well-known lines and locally-baked bread from Maryland, plus wontons, gyoza wrappers, and tortillas.
• Candies & Sweets Cookies and candies sourced from around the world, offering unique candy offerings for retail shelves.
• Charcuterie & Deli Recognized as the source for cured meats including quality workhorse meats and award-winning creations, offered by the each for flexibility on boards, sandwiches, and toppings.
• Cheese Vast variety of cheeses sourced directly from producers or through reputable importers, featuring show-stopping board cheeses to mouth-watering melters in all milks, textures, and styles.
• Cheese Plate Program IGF Advantage program that makes world class artisanal cheese available in manageable portions for customers who want to offer a cheese course without requiring 20-30 pounds of cheese.
• Chips, Crackers, & Snacks Bar options like fried favas, corn nuts, survival mix, small batch potato chip lines, and crackers from standard water crackers to Taralli from Puglia.
• Condiments, Sauces, & Soups Sour pickled vegetables, sweet cashew butter, pungent mustards, salty capers, and finishing touches for any dish.
• Dairy Products Extensive dairy options including heavy cream in various percentages, domestic and European butters, and non-dairy alternatives.
• Desserts Pre-made cakes, gelato, pastries, and more, most of which are handmade or hand finished for customers without pastry chef bandwidth.
• Flours & Grains Grains, rice, and flours including organic options for Neapolitan pizza, risotto, and various baking needs.
• Fruits IQF and canned fruits, purees and powders including Pacrim purees traced to finest fruit and harvested at peak flavor.
• Honeys & Syrups Wide range of imported and local honeys and syrups in various size formats for baking, finishing, or brewing applications.
• Jams, Jellies, & Preserves Growing selection of jams and preserves for retail shelves or back-of-the-house, including La Trinquelinette brand.
• Micro Program Micros program offering wasabi, lavender, citrus, and other micro greens for finishing dishes, cocktails, and desserts.
• Mushrooms & Truffles Dry mushroom varieties, mushroom mixes, IQF porcini, mushroom powder, and fresh truffles flown in seasonally plus frozen, peelings, slices, and chopped varieties year-round.
• Non-food Products Non-food necessities including black gloves, plastic wrap, foil, cups, disposables, and pastry supplies, many available by the box rather than case.
• Nuts & Seeds Whole, halved, slivered, or piece nuts packed in 10 pound bags or bulk cases including Virginia peanuts, red walnuts, and Piemonte Hazelnuts.
• Oils & Shortenings Single seed oils, workhouse olive oils, fryer oils, specialty oils, blends, and superior finishing oils like pistachio, small batch olive, and Agrumato Lemon Oil.
• Olives Whole, pitted, paste, tapenade, or stuffed olives including Alfonso, Arbequina, Gaeta, Luques varieties, and fresh harvest olives never heat pasteurized.
• Pastas Dry pasta from Marche, Italy and fresh refrigerated line, including one of the best pastas in the world and the number one selling filled pasta line in Italy, plus gluten-free options.
• Proteins Quality proteins including Meadow's Pride local lamb from Virginia family farm, Heritage Berkshire Pork, American Wagyu with 350-500 day finish, game options, sausages, guanciale, and pancetta.
• Salts, Herbs, & Spices Spices ground once a quarter for abundance of flavor, dried herbs with vibrant color and flavor, from everyday spices to exotic varieties, plus finishing salts including Sicilian Sea and Persian Blue.
• Seafood Specialties Spanish tuna and octopus, anchovies, salted cod, smoked salmon, IQF mussels and clams, sushi grade tuna, and responsibly raised caviar.
• Sugars, Sweeteners, & Substitutes Sweeteners including cane, beet, or coconut palm sugars in tabletop to foodservice sizes.
• Vegetables IQF, roasted, marinated, and canned vegetables including long-stemmed artichokes, oven-dried tomatoes, cipollini onions, roasted peppers, IQF vegetables, and petit pois.
• Vinegars High acid vinegars and milder finishers including balsamic family, Asian vinegars, Saba, red and white Ver Jus, Vin Cottos, and locally foraged Virginia vinegars sourced since 2019.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Chefs' Warehouse: Public specialty foodservice distributor serving restaurants, country clubs, hotels, and caterers with a curated portfolio of imported and artisanal products. Directly comparable to IGF in customer mix, premium sourcing model, and emphasis on chef-driven sales.
• KeHE Food Distributors: Private specialty and natural foods distributor supplying independent grocers, gourmet markets, and foodservice operators. Closely comparable to IGF in specialty SKUs and premium-channel focus, though with a stronger natural/organic tilt.
• Baldor Specialty Foods: Northeast-focused specialty foodservice distributor (acquired by Sysco in 2020) serving restaurants with fresh produce, proteins, dairy, and specialty items. Directly comparable in product breadth and chef customer base, though historically narrower in geography.

Broad incumbents

• Sysco Corporation: Largest U.S. broadline foodservice distributor with an extensive specialty and Italian/Asian sub-range. Overlaps with IGF in restaurants, hotels, and country clubs, but competes on scale and catalog rather than on boutique sourcing expertise.
• US Foods: Major U.S. broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants, healthcare, and hospitality. Comparable to IGF in restaurant/hotel customers but offers a much broader commodity-plus-specialty mix rather than a focused gourmet portfolio.
• Performance Food Group: Large U.S. foodservice distributor with a specialty arm (Vistar/VPI). Comparable to IGF on broadline distribution scale and foodservice end-markets, but with a broader institutional and convenience-channel footprint.
• United Natural Foods (UNFI): Wholesale distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods serving retailers and foodservice. Comparable to IGF on specialty/gourmet assortment, though primarily retail-anchored rather than foodservice-anchored.

Regional players

• Shamrock Foods Company: Family-owned broadline foodservice distributor serving the Southwest U.S. with a growing specialty product line. Comparable to IGF in family-owned private structure, broadline-plus-specialty mix, and regional scale.
• Gordon Food Service: Family-led broadline foodservice distributor serving the Midwest and other U.S. regions with both commodity and specialty SKUs. Comparable to IGF in private family ownership and foodservice focus, though with broader geographic coverage.
• Ben E. Keith Foods: Private broadline foodservice distributor serving Texas, the Southwest, and parts of the Midwest/Southeast. Comparable to IGF on regional multi-DC foodservice distribution and specialty offerings, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalGourmetFoods
• Instagraminstagram.com/internationalgourmetfoods/?hl=en
• Xx.com/igf_inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-gourmet-foods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Gourmet Foods