It takes time to cultivate relationships with suppliers, growers, fishermen, and markets and ensure that they will have consistent availability. Innovative Food Holdings (Tii:IVFH) makes that process seamless. The company comprises a network of subsidiaries that distribute specialty food products and perishables to top professional chefs and select home buyers.

The small yet dynamic team at the company has been providing access to foods that are hard to find, products with a compelling story and trending new foods since 1979. IVFH distributes perishable, specialty foods and food-related products, including origin-specific seafood, domestic and imported meats, exotic game and poultry, artisanal cheeses, freshly prepared meals, caviar, wild and cultivated mushrooms, micro-greens, organic farmed and manufactured food products, estate-bottled olive oils and aged vinegar. Its diverse marketplace connects artisan food makers and cultivators with top-of-the-line chefs and hospitality leaders throughout the U.S.

IVFH serves diverse clients, including restaurants, hotels, country clubs, national chain accounts, casinos, hospitals and catering houses. Vetting suppliers saves time and makes things easier for customers. The small batch producers that create the special value of IVFH are vetted through a thorough evaluation that examines the suppliers' food safety protocols and supply chain capabilities. For these smaller vendors who don’t typically sell through broad-based sales channels, this process allows them to be included in a larger marketplace and get in front of discerning chefs and industry leaders. Once the producers have completed the selection process, their products can be distributed directly from the IVFH network of vendors and warehouses within 24-72 hours. In the Chicago area, professional chefs are served by IVFH subsidiary Artisan Specialty Foods. Customers in other U.S. regions can order through e-commerce businesses on Amazon, directly at the IVFH website, or through other broad-line distributors like US Foods that utilize drop-shipping.

The company’s second division, Home Gourmet, offers the same quality, diversity, and trending products to the passionate foodie who can’t find their favorite ingredients locally or to the customer planning a charcuterie board for a casual dinner with friends. Customers can purchase à la carte items through the IVFH-run websites, igourmet.com and mouth.com, as well as third-party marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Home Gourmet also offers curated gift collections and subscriptions for food aficionados who like to share.

IVFH provides service to its two customer bases from its two warehouses: a 200,000-square-foot facility in Mountain Top, Penn. (a pivotal industry distribution hub for the Northeast) and a 28,000-square-foot facility in the greater Chicago area. The company is equipped to pack and ship frozen, refrigerated and ambient products, which enables them to sell a broad range of specialty foods. Food safety is a primary concern and the company has GFSI/SQF certifications, which puts them on par with the highest standards of food handling supply chains worldwide. The sites can ship packages and pallets of all sizes through overnight shipping and utilize a fleet of trucks to deliver directly to nearby professional chefs.

Robert William (Bill) Bennett was named chief executive officer on February 28, 2023. Since the former vice president of e-commerce for Kroger has come on board, changes have reflected a new direction for IVFH. The company decided to restructure and streamline its Home Gourmet division in January 2024. Bennett hopes to redirect focus to its primary marketplace, the IVFH professional interface.

In an effort to expand its partner network, IVFH entered into a new contractual partnership with southeast broad-line distributor Cheney Brothers in April 2024. Cheney Brothers is one of the fastest-growing distributors in the United States with more than $3 billion in annual revenue. IVFH’s products will be available for sale on the new Cheney Brothers Stock Room drop-ship platform.