It was a great opportunity for us to talk to The Evening Times about our work. We wanted to present our mentality and the reason why we created this company to a local newspaper of high circulation.
Agora aimed, since the beginning, to deliver high quality Greek foods and drinks in competitive prices and highlight the importance of the Mediterranean diet. So far, we are happy that with the support of Greeks, British and everyone else that appreciates the Greek food, we managed to bring numerous Greek brands and quality food into the UK.
If you are curious about how and why we started this business, which was our inspirations and intentions and …what comes next, take a look at the article below!
“Greece is the word when it comes to quality”
WHO ARE YOU?
Michael and Christina. Greek natives living permanently in Scotland visualising to bring the real taste of Greece in the UK, to all those people who love Greece and all its charms.
WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS DO?
Agora is all about delicious, genuine and healthy Greek food, coming directly from the source – local producers across Greece. It’s the first Greek online supermarket in the UK, where people can find Greece’s highest quality and genuine produce. Honey, extra virgin olive oils, wines, liquors, Greek meze (the Greek word for a small portion of food equal to the Spanish tapas), Greece’s famous desserts and sweets and various other delicious artisan and gourmet foods.
Apart from our online shop we operate in wholesales and catering supplies. People love Mediterranean food and we are here bringing the best of it!
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
We are based in Glasgow but the parcels with Greek foods and drinks travel daily across the UK and overseas. We keep our stock in a small warehouse in Glasgow. We coordinate with courier services to deliver our parcels anywhere in the UK.
We undertake the rest of the retail and our wholesales operations on our own and we manage the whole business through our laptops at home. Developing a wide network of local producers in Greece which ship their products directly to our warehouse help us keeping the products cost down.
Our retail clients and wholesales network have spread the word for us and as the time passes we get more and more enquiries. Also, the proper set up of our online shop has created a significant online business.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
This idea hit us while we were studying for our Master’s degree in Glasgow and started feeling homesick thinking of our mum’s food, as we couldn’t find authentic Greek foods. As soon as we finished our Master and while working, we started with this business idea. We finally set up our online shop on our laptops and found a small warehouse in Glasgow where we stock our delicacies.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
We both love the unique Greek flavours and this was our inspiration to start. We never thought that we would end up “bringing” Greece in Scotland. Our educational and working background – Michael in Economics and Christina in Marketing, both continued with a Master of International Management, in Strathclyde University – gave us the right skills to go on and bring this business idea into life. Our prior working experience Michael’s in Finance and Christina’s in Marketing helped to market right and effectively this business idea.
WHAT IS YOUR TOP TIP?
Eat Greek! Scotland never had authentic Greek food before in that scale. So take care of yourself and turn to the healthy but yet delicious Mediterranean diet that genuine Greek food can provide! Businesswise, be open-minded and flexible. Getting feedback always helps to become better and develop ourselves and our business.
HOW LONG HAS YOUR BUSINESS BEEN RUNNING?
Our online shop operates for more than a year and grows steadily. The demand for Greek foods and drinks is drastically increasing. We first started building our business 2.5 years ago and Agora was registered one year after.
HAS ANYONE HELPED YOU GET STARTED AND HOW?
JBG (former GRA), Business Getaway and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce were really helpful in advising and guiding. We also can’t thank enough Princess Trust and WSLF for trusting and funding our business idea.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DEAL?
To start supplying catering services and restaurants in Scotland. We were stressed and terrified how much our business can expand in a short period of time, but we got there and we were able to handle it.
WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR OR INSPIRATION?
The Greek communities in the UK and British friends helped us gather information and market our business idea. They were kind enough to give us honest feedback through questionnaires and focus groups.
We also received significant help from JBG (former GRA), Business Getaway and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, who provided mentoring and helped us positioning our brands in retail and wholesale market.
Our first wholesale and retail clients encouraged us to take it further and expand our product range.
WHERE DO YOU PLAN YOUR BUSINESS TO BE IN FIVE YEARS TIME?
The demand for Greek delicacies is getting higher as time passes and now we are preparing our next big step. We would like to expand our product range and our operations.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Email: info@agoragreekdelicacies.co.uk
Tel. : 0141 846 0297
Find us : www.agoragreekdelicacies.co.uk
Find the article online: Agora Greek Delicacies on Evening Times