Natural Food Service

What Natural Food Service does

Natural Food Service S.r.l. is a privately held Italian B2B wholesale distributor of food and non-food products serving the Ho.Re.Ca. channel (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés, pizzerias, pastry shops, collective catering). Founded approximately 20 years ago and headquartered in Rome with a regional office in Pescara, the company sources products from suppliers across Italy and resells them to professional operators, primarily in Lazio and Abruzzo, with weekly deliveries extending across Italy and international shipments available. Its catalog covers more than 1,500 SKUs across cheeses and dairy, cured meats and meat, pasta, rice, flours, condiments, oils, wines and beverages, frozen, fish, preserves, desserts, bread, and non-food consumables (disposables, pizza boxes, films, detergents).

The business model is a transactional, margin-based wholesale distribution operation executed through a direct sales-led motion (inside sales plus field account management) and delivered via an owned fleet of 68 vans supporting daily deliveries in core regions with a stated 24-hour turnaround and cold chain capability. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated from product margins across a long-tail of approximately 3,000-3,500 SMB clients. The company's stated strategic objective is to become the single-source supplier (fornitore unico) for each client through catalog breadth, Taylor-Made service, and loyalty initiatives, and to extend the model nationally. No proprietary software, AI/ML, or algorithmic capabilities are disclosed; the technology stack is limited to a corporate website with catalog, blog, newsletter, and online ordering. The company was recognized as one of Italy's 'Leader della Crescita 2024' by Statista and Il Sole 24 Ore for top revenue growth in the 2019-2022 triennium, is privately held with no disclosed external funding or parent company, and operates with 251-500 employees.

Name

Natural Food Service

Legal name

Natural Food Service S.r.l.

Website

https://naturalfoodservice.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Natural Food Service is a privately held Italian B2B distributor of food and non-food products serving Ho.Re.Ca. operators (pizzerias, restaurants, cafés, hotels) in Lazio and Abruzzo, delivering 1,500+ SKUs daily via an owned 68-van fleet to roughly 3,500 SMB clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic & Natural Foodservice & Restaurant Supply Wholesale (AFAIAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI), Noncommercial/Institutional Broadline Distributors (K-12, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Government) (AFAIAAAC)

Keywords

• Food distribution services
• Ho.Re.Ca. wholesale supply
• B2B food distribution
• Restaurant supply wholesale
• Foodservice product distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Pescara

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Non-Food Product Distribution: Natural Food Service generates revenue through the distribution and sale of food and non-food products to professional Ho.Re.Ca. clients. The company purchases products from suppliers across Italy and resells them with added logistics and delivery services. Revenue is derived from product margins on a transactional basis, with repeat client relationships built on reliable delivery and a broad catalog (over 1,500 SKUs). The company targets becoming a single-source supplier for clients, increasing wallet share through catalog expansion and loyalty initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Natural Food Service is a B2B wholesale distributor of food and non-food products serving Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotellerie, Restaurant, Café) professionals, primarily pizzerias, restaurants, cafés, pastry shops, hotels, and collective catering operators in Lazio and Abruzzo, with national and international reach. The company resells a catalog of more than 1,500 SKUs sourced from suppliers across Italy, and bundles the supply with its own delivery fleet and cold-chain logistics, including daily deliveries in core regions and weekly deliveries nationally.

Product overview

Natural Food Service is a B2B food and non-food distribution company serving the Ho.Re.Ca. channel (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes) across Lazio and Abruzzo regions. The company operates as a wholesale distributor offering over 1,500 products including cheeses and dairy (Mozzarella, Fresh Cheeses, Aged Cheeses), cured meats and meat products, pasta and rice, wines and sparkling wines, beverages (water, plant-based drinks, fruit juices), flours (durum wheat, soft wheat, wholemeal), condiments/sauces/spices, fish products, frozen foods, preserves, desserts, bread products, and non-food restaurant supplies. Their service portfolio combines product distribution with logistics support, featuring daily and weekly deliveries, a cold chain system, and a 24-hour delivery service. The company positions itself as a comprehensive supply partner with a Taylor Made approach to customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food and Non-Food Product Distribution (Ho.Re.Ca.)

Quantifiable outcome

• Catalog expanded from ~600 to ~1,800 SKUs in 2 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brakes Group: European broadline foodservice distributor (part of Sysco) operating across multiple countries with broad product range and digital ordering. Comparable in business model and customer base though primarily serving the UK and other European geographies.
• Bid Corporation Limited: International foodservice distribution group with operations across Europe, including Italy-adjacent geographies. Comparable multi-country roll-up model and broadline Ho.Re.Ca. focus.
• Sysco Corporation: Largest global broadline foodservice distributor, with established European operations through Brakes. Sets industry benchmarks on catalog breadth, logistics technology, and private label — useful reference point for scale economics and competitive intensity.

Direct peers

• Marr S.p.A. Italy's largest listed B2B foodservice distributor serving the Ho.Re.Ca. channel with a broad multi-category catalog. Closest direct peer given overlapping product mix, customer base (restaurants, hotels, caterers), and distribution model.
• METRO Italia: Italian arm of METRO AG operating cash-and-carry and foodservice distribution centers across Italy. Direct competitor for Ho.Re.Ca. customers with similar broadline assortment and daily-delivery value proposition.

Others

• Eurocash S.A. Polish wholesale and distribution group with both cash-and-carry and foodservice distribution. Useful comparator for unit economics and roll-up dynamics in fragmented European food distribution, though operating in Central Europe.

Regional players

• Selex Commerciale: Italian organized retail and wholesale group with affiliated B2B distribution activities. Comparable Italian presence and multi-category grocery and food product supply capability.
• Agorà Network: Italian consortium of independent food distributors serving Ho.Re.Ca. customers. Comparable in scale and customer base, operating in similar Italian regional markets.
• Caterite: UK-based independent foodservice distributor with strong regional density and customer-service focus, comparable to Natural Food Service's regional specialist model (though operating in a different geography).
• Alfi S.r.l. Italian food and non-food distributor serving Ho.Re.Ca. and retail channels with comparable catalog breadth and regional delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/naturalfoodserviceroma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natural-food-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Natural Food Service