Cateringross

What Cateringross does

Cateringross soc. coop. is an Italian cooperative consortium headquartered in Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna), founded in 1983 as the first cooperative group operating in food service distribution in Italy. The organization aggregates approximately 40-41 independent regional food distributors — from Trentino Alto Adige to Sicily, with some cross-border activity — that collectively serve over 60,000 HORECA customers (hotels, restaurants, cafes, pizzerias, catering). Wholly owned distribution subsidiaries include Baldi Foodservice, Marchi Spa, FAIC Foodservice, Pellegrino, Madia, Amelia3, RZ Service, Selezioni di Gusto, Diametro, Marongiu Catering, and Fiorelli & Co., among others. Governance is exercised by a Board of Directors elected by member companies, with Andrea Marchi serving as President since June 2021 and a new Board elected for the 2024-2026 term.

The cooperative's commercial offering is anchored by a portfolio of exclusive private-label brands accessible only to member distributors: DoGusto (general Italian food), Big Chef (toppings, juices, sorbets), Salumi Reali (premium cured meats including DOP/IGP products), Delizie di Latte (cheeses and dairy), Menoventino, and Easy Professional. Cateringross also publishes Sala&Cucina, a trade magazine reaching 89,000 Italian food service operators, and runs annual Food Summit events. The business model is a buyer-cooperative structure: members pool purchasing power to negotiate national supplier contracts, share market intelligence, and access exclusive branded products, while retaining independent sales forces, delivery fleets, and direct customer relationships in their respective regions. Pricing is B2B and not publicly disclosed; quotes are provided based on customer requirements. No consolidated group-level revenue is reported, and there is no external institutional investor or PE backing.

Name

Cateringross

Legal name

CATERINGROSS soc. coop.

Website

https://cateringross.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cateringross is Italy's first cooperative consortium in food service distribution, founded in 1983. It aggregates 40+ independent regional distributors serving over 60,000 HORECA customers nationwide, offering exclusive private-label brands and a trade magazine reaching 89,000 operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Service Distribution

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Office Catering (THAFAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Catering & Office Food Programs (HSACAGAC)

Keywords

• Food service distribution
• HoReCa supply
• Private label foods
• Cooperative distribution
• Italian food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Casalecchio di Reno

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cateringross is a cooperative consortium of approximately 40 independent Italian food distribution companies serving the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) channel. The group provides member distributors with collective purchasing power, national supplier contracts, six exclusive private-label brands (Big Chef, Salumi Reali, Delizie di Latte, DoGusto, Menoventuno, Easy Professional), and the Sala&Cucina trade magazine reaching 89,000 operators. Through its members, the network supplies food and beverage products to over 60,000 professional restaurant customers across Italy.

Product overview

Cateringross is the first Italian cooperative group operating in food service distribution, comprising approximately 40-41 member companies that distribute food and beverage products to restaurants, hotels, pizzerias, and other food service establishments across Italy. The group's offering includes a portfolio of six private-label brands (Big Chef, Salumi Reali, Delizie di latte, Menoventino, DoGusto, and Easy Professional) featuring food products exclusive to member companies and their customers. Additionally, the group publishes Sala&Cucina magazine reaching 89,000 food service operators. The core business model centers on aggregating purchasing power, sharing market intelligence, and providing exclusive branded products to member distributors who serve over 60,000 professional customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Chef A private-label brand offering toppings, concentrated juices, lemon juices, and sorbets for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, produced by General Fruit (Bergamo-based family business). The product line enables chefs to save preparation time, reduce waste with functional packaging, and achieve cost savings.
• Salumi Reali A private-label brand offering premium Italian meats and charcuterie, featuring products like Prosciutto di Parma DOP from Salumificio La Torre, Speck Alto Adige IGP from Merano Speck, and Smoked Pancetta. Provides exclusive products to restaurateurs from Italy's finest producers for each category.
• Delizie di Latte A private-label brand specializing in premium Italian cheeses and dairy products, featuring Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP from La Marchesa and butter products from Parmareggio. Targets professional restaurants with exclusive dairy selections.
• DoGusto An exclusive private-label brand available only to Cateringross member companies. Features predominantly Italian products with excellent price-quality ratio. Allows single-order procurement for complete menu needs and provides storytelling about product origins for restaurant menus.
• Sala&Cucina Magazine Magazine publication reaching 89,000 food service operators, covering market trends, industry news, interviews with chefs, and best practices for the Italian restaurant sector.
• Menoventuno (Menoventino) Private-Label Brand One of six exclusive private-label brands offered by Cateringross to its member distribution companies for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, listed within the group's branded products portfolio.
• Easy Professional Private-Label Brand One of six exclusive private-label brands offered by Cateringross to its member distribution companies for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, listed within the group's branded products portfolio.

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 indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• METRO Italia: Italian HORECA cash & carry wholesaler serving hotels, restaurants, and caterers with food and non-food products. Direct competitor to Cateringross member distributors in the Italian HORECA distribution market with comparable target customers and product categories.
• Conserve Italia: Italian food cooperative specializing in preserved fruits, vegetables, and tomato products under brands like Valfrutta. Comparable cooperative structure aggregating producer-members for distribution to Italian food channels including food service.
• Granarolo: Italian dairy and food cooperative with comparable cooperative governance structure. Similar business model of aggregating producers and supply partners to serve Italian food markets, including HORECA, with member-owned governance.

Broad incumbents

• US Foods: Major US foodservice distributor serving restaurants and food service operators with broad-line product offerings. Comparable broad-line foodservice distribution model to Cateringross's member network serving HORECA customers.
• Performance Food Group: US foodservice distributor with significant HORECA exposure through its Foodservice segment. Comparable business model of broad-line food distribution with private-label brands serving restaurants and food service operators.
• Brakes Group: UK-based foodservice distributor (part of Sysco). Comparable business model of broad-line food distribution serving HORECA customers in European markets with private-label offerings.
• Sysco Corporation: Global leader in foodservice distribution serving restaurants, healthcare, and hospitality. Operates at much larger scale with similar business model of aggregating purchasing power and broad-line distribution to HORECA customers.
• Bidcorp / Bidfood: International foodservice distribution group operating across multiple geographies including Europe. Comparable broad-line food distribution model serving HORECA customers globally with decentralized country operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXov88SEZn63kxwauyPYxwQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cateringross
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cateringross

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries15 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 Cateringross