One coordinated team supporting a beverage launch across Europe
How GourmetPro brought UK, France and Germany market expertise together with regulatory support for an Asian beverage business.
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At a glance
- Challenge
- Prepare a beverage launch for three markets with different routes to market and product-readiness needs.
- Approach
- Combine local commercial expertise with regulatory support in a coordinated team.
- Contribution
- Connected market planning, partner preparation and regulatory input.
Confidential food business
An Asian beverage business was preparing to enter the United Kingdom, France and Germany. It needed country-level commercial expertise and regulatory support that could work alongside its own team. The client remains confidential.
One launch, three local markets
The client needed more than a list of potential distributors. The beverage launch required a route to market for each country, a commercial model that reflected local channels, and regulatory input alongside the market work.
Those decisions are connected: the target channel affects the partner brief and pricing, while product readiness affects when buyer conversations can progress. GourmetPro brought the relevant capabilities into one engagement.
Four complementary roles, one coordinated team
The project brought together three country specialists and a regulatory specialist, with UK lead Jon Burton connecting the country workstreams.
- Jon BurtonUK lead and regional coordination
- Kathryn ReadGermany market support
- Damien CambefortFrance market support
- Sam ConebarRegulatory and labelling support
1. Shape the approach for each market
The engagement covered local consumers, competition, positioning and channel choices. Country expertise helped adapt the market approach and identify priorities for the UK, France and Germany.
2. Connect commercial planning and product readiness
The scope brought route-to-market planning, channel margins and retail pricing together with regulatory and labelling review. Keeping these workstreams connected made product-readiness questions part of launch planning.
3. Prepare the move into partner conversations
The team worked on the sell-in approach and the role of brand activation in supporting distribution. Coordination with the client's European team helped connect local commercial groundwork to the wider launch strategy.
The project team
Jon Burton
Accomplished FMCG marketing leader with 25+ years experience driving brand growth and innovation in the food and beverage sector.
Kathryn Read
Kathryn Read, with 25+ years of experience, excels in helping SMEs expand globally through expert consulting.
Damien Cambefort
Damien is a distinguished leader in company management, sales, and strategy with 25+ years of international business development experience.
Sam Conebar
Sam, respected in the food and supplement industry, enhances regulatory compliance for UK brands, with 10+ years' experience.
Delivery: a connected European team
The engagement put a coordinated European team in place, with local responsibility in each target country and regulatory support across the programme.
For the client, that meant access to complementary capabilities within one engagement: shaping country plans, preparing partner discussions and connecting commercial decisions with product-readiness work.
Which capabilities does your European launch need?
Start with your target countries, the work your internal team already covers and the gaps you need to fill. Explore our In-market Team and Market Entry and Expansion services, or discuss the team your launch requires.