Traditional World Foods

What Traditional World Foods does

Traditional World Foods (TWF) is a French food import and distribution company founded in 1986 by Alain Moron and headquartered in Wasquehal, near Lille. The company imports and exclusively distributes international food brands in France across dry, fresh, and frozen temperature ranges, serving three distinct channels through wholly-owned subsidiaries: EPIDIS distributes to retail chains and independent grocers (with over 50 sales specialists focused on shelf management and promotional display), FRAIDIS supplies hotels, restaurants, caterers, and cash-and-carry operators, and NORPASS provides bulk ingredients (in hundreds of liters or kilos) to French food manufacturers including Fleury Michon, Cassegrain, Activ International, Paysan Breton, and Petit Navire. The exclusive brand portfolio spans 18+ established international labels including Kikkoman, Go-Tan, Hikari Miso, Dilmah, Mission, Maldon, Pataks, RealThai, Oyakata, Monari Federzoni, Mulino Bianco, Sweet Baby Rays, Mizkan, and Darbo, representing Japanese, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Indian, Thai, Italian, and American culinary cultures.

TWF's underlying capabilities center on multi-temperature logistics expertise, EU/French regulatory compliance (managed by a dedicated Quality Manager), and an integrated in-house marketing agency called AMC that provides graphic design, packaging, and promotional services to industrial partners. International sourcing is managed through wholly-owned TWF America and TWF Japan entities that handle co-packing and supply chain to European ports. The company co-founded the Dilmah School of Tea in 2009 with Dilmah and Institut LYFE (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse). In 2022, TWF launched the Voyagez en Cuisinant direct-to-consumer digital platform at voyagezencuisinant.fr, combining e-commerce with content marketing around recipes and brand storytelling.

The business model operates on exclusive brand distribution and transaction-fee revenues across B2B channels (retail, food service, industrial), supplemented since 2022 by direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales. Distribution is primarily domestic France, with international sourcing rather than international sales. The company is privately held by the founding family with no disclosed external institutional investment, no funding rounds, and no public M&A activity. It maintains professional memberships in ESMA (European Sales & Marketing Association) and CEISA (The Circle of Specialty Food Distributors), and has earned repeated LSA Innovation and Salesforce Trophies (2016-2025), Saveur de l'année awards (2019-2025), and the PME+ certification by ECOCERT (2017).

Name

Traditional World Foods

Legal name

SAS TRADITIONAL WORLD FOODS (TWF)

Website

https://twf.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Traditional World Foods (TWF), founded in 1986 in Wasquehal, France, imports and exclusively distributes international food brands (Kikkoman, Dilmah, Pataks, Maldon, Go-Tan and others) to French retail, food service, and food manufacturing channels through specialized subsidiaries EPIDIS, FRAIDIS, and NORPASS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Specialty Food Distribution

NAICS

Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Distribution (CRAOABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Food import distribution
• International food brands
• Specialty food wholesale
• Food service distribution
• Multi-temperature logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Wasquehal

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exclusive Brand Distribution: TWF imports and distributes international food brands in France on an exclusive basis. The company manages the complete commercial and marketing strategy for partner brands across multiple distribution channels including retail, food service, and industry sectors.
2. Industrial Sourcing and Supply: NORPASS supplies food manufacturers (Fleury Michon, Cassegrain, Activ International, Paysan Breton, Petit Navire) with bulk ingredients in hundreds of liters or kilos for use in final product recipes.
3. E-commerce Direct Sales: Voyagez en Cuisinant digital platform sells products directly to consumers through online store, complemented by recipes, brand stories, and food culture content.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Traditional World Foods imports and exclusively distributes international food brands in France on behalf of foreign manufacturers, managing the complete commercial and marketing strategy across dry, fresh, and frozen product categories. The company operates through three specialized subsidiaries — EPIDIS for retail/GMS, FRAIDIS for food service/hospitality, and NORPASS for food manufacturers — with TWF America and TWF Japan managing international sourcing. Since 2022, TWF also operates the Voyagez en Cuisinant direct-to-consumer digital platform, and its integrated AMC marketing agency provides brand development, packaging design, and promotional services.

Product overview

TWF (Traditional World Foods) is a French food import and distribution company founded in 1986, headquartered in Wasquehal near Lille. The company operates a multi-brand, multi-channel distribution model, importing and distributing international food brands across three temperature ranges (dry, fresh, frozen). The core portfolio includes over 18 distributed brands such as Kikkoman, Go-Tan, Hikari Miso, Dilmah, Mission, Maldon, RealThai, Oyakata, Pataks, and others, spanning categories including soy sauces, coconut products, curry pastes, instant noodles, teas, vinegars, and more. TWF serves three distinct distribution channels through its subsidiaries: EPIDIS handles retail/GMS, FRAIDIS serves food service/hospitality, and NORPASS supplies food manufacturers. The company also operates an e-commerce platform under the Voyagez en Cuisinant brand. Supporting services include AMC (marketing agency) and the Dilmah School of Tea educational partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voyagez en Cuisinant: Digital platform and brand created in 2022 for TWF's world food brands, including recipes, brand stories, food culture articles, and an online store.

Products and services

• EPIDIS — Retail Distribution Service (Retail by TWF) Specialized distribution service delivering TWF's portfolio of exclusive international food brands (Kikkoman, Go-Tan, Hikari Miso, Maldon, Pataks, etc.) to French supermarket chains and independent retailers. Over 50 EPIDIS sales specialists manage shelf placement and promotional displays for world food and condiments categories.
• FRAIDIS — Food Service Distribution Service (Food Service by TWF) Specialized distribution service supplying hotels, restaurants, cash & carry, deli shops, and caterers (TOR) across France with branded international food products at three temperature ranges (dry, fresh, frozen). Sales teams act as culinary advisors providing product expertise and innovation guidance; listed with all national wholesalers.
• NORPASS — Industrial Ingredient Supply (Industry by TWF) B2B ingredient supply service for food manufacturers (Fleury Michon, Cassegrain, Activ International, Paysan Breton, Petit Navire) delivering bulk international ingredients in hundreds of liters or kilos with R&D advisory services on product use and preparation, including support for compliance with European and French regulations.
• AMC — Integrated Marketing Agency Agence Conseil en stratégie commerciale et marketing: integrated in-house team of art directors, graphic designers, layout artists, copywriters, and a photo studio providing industrial partners full-service brand support from graphic design and packaging through point-of-sale and promotional operations.
• TWF America & TWF Japan — International Sourcing and Supply Chain International sourcing, co-packing, and supply chain service operating through dedicated entities in the US and Japan, managing procurement and routing of international food products to European ports for distribution through EPIDIS, FRAIDIS, and NORPASS.
• Voyagez en Cuisinant — Consumer E-commerce Platform and Brand Direct-to-consumer digital platform selling TWF's curated international food portfolio to French consumers, complemented by recipes, brand stories, and food culture content across voyagezencuisinant.fr and social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, email newsletter).
• Kikkoman Brand Distribution Exclusive distribution of the Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce brand in France by TWF across retail (EPIDIS), food service (FRAIDIS), and industry (NORPASS) channels.
• Go-Tan Brand Distribution Exclusive French distribution of the Indonesian Go-Tan brand, famous for prawn crackers (pétales à la crevette), distributed across retail, food service, and industrial channels.
• Dilmah Brand Distribution Exclusive French distribution of the Sri Lankan Dilmah tea brand; supported by the Dilmah School of Tea co-founded in 2009 with Institut LYFE (formerly Paul Bocuse Institute).
• Maldon Brand Distribution Exclusive French distribution of Maldon premium sea salt flakes across retail, food service, and consumer channels.
• Pataks Brand Distribution Exclusive French distribution of Pataks Indian curry pastes and sauces through retail, food service, and industrial channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple LSA Innovation Trophies in 2016 and 2017; Multiple LSA Salesforce Trophies in 2017, 2018, 2024, and 2025; Saveur de l'année awards in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• DilmahflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009TWF partnered with Dilmah (family-run tea grower and harvester from Sri Lanka) and Institut LYFE (formerly Paul Bocuse) to co-found the first international Dilmah School of Tea in 2009. TWF works with Institut LYFE to train students in tea fundamentals and provides culinary advisors for tea menu development.
• Institut LYFE (formerly Paul Bocuse Institute)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership with Institut LYFE and Dilmah to create the first International Tea School. TWF contributes tea expertise and training for students on tea fundamentals.
• ESMA (European Sales & Marketing Association)coreOthersEuropean association of importer-distributors of major food brands. TWF is a member of this professional network.
• CEISA (The Circle of Specialty Food Distributors)coreOthersInternational network of companies focused on creating high-quality brands in their respective countries. TWF is a member representing France.
• FEEF (Fédération des Entreprises et des Entrepreneurs de France)coreOthersPartner organization that launched the PME+ certification in 2014. TWF received PME+ certification through FEEF's program with ECOCERT audit.
• ECOCERTcoreOthersCertified audit organization that conducted TWF's PME+ certification audit in June 2017. Audit is renewed every 2 years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brake France: Major French foodservice distributor serving the hospitality and restaurant industry. Overlaps with TWF's FRAIDIS division in HORECA distribution, but operates as a broadline incumbent rather than TWF's specialty ethnic brand portfolio.
• Sysco France: French arm of global foodservice distribution giant, serving restaurants and hospitality operators with broad product range. Comparable to FRAIDIS in distribution channel and customer base but covers all categories rather than TWF's world-food specialty.
• Transgourmet France (Pro à Pro): French foodservice distribution arm of the Coop group, operating Pro à Pro as a broadline distributor serving restaurants and caterers. Comparable to FRAIDIS on channel and distribution model, but at much broader scale and product range.
• METRO Cash & Carry France: Self-service wholesaler for HORECA and small businesses, including cash & carry formats that overlap with FRAIDIS customer base. A broadline incumbent in food distribution; comparable on channel and customer type but TWF remains a specialty ethnic importer-distributor.
• Pomona PassionFroid: France's leading foodservice distribution specialist serving restaurants and caterers. Comparable to TWF's FRAIDIS subsidiary in food service distribution breadth and scale, though Pomona is a broadline player rather than TWF's specialty ethnic focus.

Direct peers

• Distriborg: French specialist distributor focused on organic, natural, and ethical food products for retail. Comparable to TWF in its role as a values-led (PME+ / ISO 26000) specialist distributor serving French retail and HORECA, with similar emphasis on premium imported brands and CSR-led positioning.
• East End Foods: One of the UK's largest independent importers and distributors of world foods, particularly Indian and Asian ranges. Directly comparable to TWF as a multi-generational family-owned importer-distributor of branded ethnic foods into retail and foodservice.
• Wanis International Foods: UK-based importer and distributor of international food brands serving retail and foodservice channels. Most direct comparable business model to TWF: ethnic and international brand distribution with multi-channel reach and similar exclusive distribution arrangements.
• Continental Fine Foods: Specialty importer-distributor of fine imported foods in the US and UK. Closely comparable to TWF's specialty/gourmet positioning (e.g., Maldon, Dilmah, Monari Federzoni) and its focus on premium authentic imported brands delivered into retail and foodservice.
• KTC Edibles: UK-based manufacturer and distributor of ethnic and world foods including oils, sauces, and ambient ranges. Comparable to TWF as a vertically integrated ethnic-food player with international sourcing and distribution to UK retail and foodservice, mapping closely to TWF's mix of in-house marketing (AMC) and exclusive third-party brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/voyagezencuisinant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/traditional-world-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/voyagezencuisinant
• TikToktiktok.com/@voyagezencuisinant?lang=ceb-PH

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Traditional World Foods