Italy Direct Ltd was founded in 2013 by Salvatore Cimmino as a result of a collaboration with its first client, the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group.

The original mission was to create a trading company made for chefs and run by chefs, able to discover, develop, source and import into the UK authentic Italian food products that were not available through the national wholesale network.

Within the first twelve months, Italy Direct became the main supplier of Italian ingredients to the Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain and continues to supply its network of franchisees across Europe.

Today, Italy Direct serves restaurant groups and premium distributors in the UK and continental Europe, operating through its own distribution network.

Thanks to the absence of traditional wholesale activity — with goods imported on a client-demand basis— Italy Direct benefits from a flexible and cost-effective structure, resulting in competitive pricing for its clients.