The company, which offers a full range of products and services for coffee shops and gelateria also recently opened a new 1000m2 facility in Dubai, which houses the offices, warehouse, training centre, and gelato production area.

Commenting on the company’s growth, Hijazi said: “We opened Sparrow International two years ago. We had a very small office in Safa, and in two years we now have several major brands from Italy — coffee machines, coffee beans, accessories, training, consultancy, anything related to coffee, tea and gelato.

We are opening an office this month in Saudi Arabia because it’s a massive market to cover. The headquarters is here in Dubai, and we cover the entire region.”

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Sparrow International is also in the process of signing up with Erremme to distribute its ice cream packaging in the GCC.

Diversifying in this market is also a trend we noticed, with Jebal, the UAE-based supplier for vegetables and meat, announcing its entry into the region’s foodservice sector, with hoteliers like Jumeirah, Kempinski, Starwood and Accor already on board as clients.

“Our strategy is to be fully integrated. We are not changing lanes but extending options, so we can reach direct consumer, offer import, storage and distribution services, and finally go into retail,” said Jebal managing director and founder Driss Dehbi.

In three years since its inception, the company has established an international network of suppliers to ensure consistent supply for its clients. It insists on introducing new products periodically to offer an “integrated solution”, as Dehbi said.

Commenting on the seasonal nature of seafood, Dehbi said: “We are tying up with a lot of regions so we can ensure consistency in supply, all year round. We are tying up with South of France for Mediterranean seas, then Morocco, Yemen, Madagascar, et cetera. We are enlarging the sourcing network to secure the all-year-round business of the product. We will make chefs confident to write on their menus the different and new varieties of fish, which are internationally known.”

For 2015, Jebal plans to focus on expanding its product range and becoming a key supplier for Horeca clients. Moreover, it also intends to establish a retail presence, with its first outlet already launched in Abu Dhabi.

American Garden is another firm which has diversified in the market, with the expansion of its range called Professional Host. Marketed as a cost-efficient range for caterers, the brand was launched in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, and Gemco assistant brand manager AlyshiaFazal said: “We have created this division called Professional Host, where our focus is catering to professionals, and being able to provide the bigger packs. It is a relatively new venture for us so it is something we are constantly developing.

“We had the retail packs — people loved the product but they had to buy small packs, which was not cost-efficient. That’s when we started venturing to this segment. I believe this is going to be a huge segment for us and it’s going to be a standalone aspect of our company.”

Gemco regional sales manager Middle East Majid Ali added: “We are present across the region, it’s just that we are now emphasising on developing this range.”

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