About Wanis

Wanis was founded in 1964 by Tulsidas Wadhwani after he emigrated from India, travelling through Africa before finally ending up in the UK. With the help of family he set up a small cash & carry, selling Ethnic products and importing small quantities of foodstuffs from sub Saharan Africa. Today Wanis has grown into one of the UK’s largest wholesale food and drink
distributors.

Wanis has built up its specialist knowledge of the Ethnic and in particular, African and Caribbean, food and drink market over the past 40 years and currently represents a number of major brands in the sector. Products imported into the EU and distributed by Wanis will have a strong appeal to their core Afro-Caribbean market and all brands marketed are brands that command market share, with heritage and high recognition.

The Company is continually striving to expand its offering of Africa and the Caribbean foodstuffs - if the market demands it Wanis can support it. We are distinctively positioned in the UK having a broad distribution network and an established wholesale cash & carry business. This means speed to market is rapid and reliable - we can monitor market perception and positioning of a product range and ensure market acceptance for both new and traditional products.

As distributor Wanis has one of the largest field sales teams in the sector and our leadership in the Retail and Independent channels is reflected in the heritage of the agencies and brands we represent. We have strong links with the Afro-Caribbean restaurant and catering trade and whilst still in its relative infancy compared to Asian foods, remain a vital entry point for trial amongst early adopters and ethnic flippers. In addition we supply most of the UK’s main high street supermarkets reflecting the growing importance of Ethnic foods in everyday life.

The Cash & Carry stocks a range of products that appeal to the cosmopolitan community in the UK. We stock all the major brands found in your typical high street store and aim to ensure that our retailers and export customers can offer their customers a wide selection of products, from Amoy to Heinz and Kellogg’s through to Tollyboy, Rajah, Rubicon, Tilda and Tropical Sun.

Our Export department is flexible and open to consolidating shipments from other suppliers where this is cost-effective for our customers. Currently we export to Europe and the middle and far East. In addition we are actively looking for additional regional distributors in mainland Europe.

The Company prides itself on its relationship with its suppliers & customers, all helping to form the foundation for solid business growth. The brands we back are mostly the number one in the product category and our name has become synonymous in the trade with the source of Caribbean and African food and drink in the UK.

The team at Wanis are youthful, dynamic and progressive and this is reflected in our values and beliefs. We strive to maintain best practice and lead the way in the wholesale food sector: in 2007 Wanis moved to a 120,000 sq. ft. custom built state-of-the-art warehouse in East London. The culmination of over 2 years planning the building is an environmental friendly building incorporating over 15% renewable energy in its day to day running and utilizing technology using solar panels, rain water harvesting and ground source heating.