In case you’ve been lying in a ditch over the past few days, the World Cup in Russia has kicked off and is now in full swing. Ahead of England’s first game against Tunisia, Informi spoke to Yacine Amor, who owns and manages The Artisan Olive Oil Company, and who moved from Tunisia to the UK, to learn about his business and his thoughts on the tournament.
Yacine moved to London 20 years ago and worked in finance until he began running his company, based in Paddington two years ago.
Could you tell us why you started your business?
I started my business for three reasons:
- To enjoy complete freedom in my decision making.
- To work with “real” products I am passionate about.
- To make a contribution to Mediterranean artisan producers and to Tunisians in particular.
What was your aim when you started out?
To build a Mediterranean speciality and fine food distributor.
Why did you decide to start your business in the UK?
The UK is one of the best places to start a business. For instance, registering a business can take as little as 30 minutes. I am blessed to be living in such a supportive country for entrepreneurs.
Instagram: @artisanoliveoilcompany
Your business is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. How do you believe social media helps with the business?
Social media is an absolutely crucial part of our marketing efforts. Given that we are primarily a wholesale business, our current and potential trade customers may very well follow us on social media to learn more about our company, how we operate and what we do differently. Over time, we may benefit from higher direct consumer recognition for our brands.
What are your future plans for the business?
We have three expansion strategies:
- To widen our geographical footprint across the UK, since we are London-heavy. We have a small international market, with customers in Germany and France.
- To develop partnerships across Europe with like-minded distributors.
- To grow our restaurant customer base.
