Cognosco Marketing – Food & Drink Sales and Business Development Specialists
Getting a great food or drink product to market is only part of the challenge. For growing brands, securing the right distributors, wholesalers and end-user accounts – and then developing those relationships into sustainable sales – can require considerable time, expertise and resource.
Cognosco Marketing provides specialist sales and business development support to food and drink manufacturers, specialising in the FreeFrom Sector who are looking to grow their presence across the UK foodservice, Out of Home and retail sectors.
Established in 2005 by Andrew Coulson and Dan Shaw, following careers with major FMCG businesses including P&G and United Biscuits, Cognosco brings more than 20 years of experience in developing food and drink brands and opening new routes to market.
An Extension of Your Sales Team
Cognosco can work alongside an existing sales team or effectively act as an outsourced national accounts and business development resource.
Its field-based sales team undertakes prospecting, new business development and account management, helping brands reach customers they may not have the internal time, contacts or resources to target themselves.
This can be particularly valuable for smaller and growing food manufacturers that have a strong product and established customer base but are ready to move to the next stage of their development.
Rather than simply providing advice, Cognosco’s approach includes practical sales activity: identifying opportunities, opening conversations and nurturing relationships with wholesalers, distributors and end-user customers.
Opening New Routes to Market
One of Cognosco’s strengths is its ability to investigate channels that a brand may not previously have explored.
Prospective end-user customers can include regional and national groups operating approximately 5–100 sites, alongside larger opportunities where appropriate. Cognosco can research and prospect within sectors such as bakery and coffee shop chains, garden centre groups, hospitality, leisure and contract catering.
The team’s experience spans a broad range of channels including:
- Foodservice wholesalers and route-to-market distributors
- Contract catering
- Hotels and hospitality
- Coffee shops and cafés
- Pubs, bars and leisure
- Education, including schools, colleges and universities
- Specialist retail, farm shops, delis and garden centres
- Major food and drink retailers
- Air travel, airport and inflight catering
- Multi-site regional and national operators
Cognosco has experience of developing opportunities with organisations including Boston Tea Party, Haskins Garden Centres, Center Parcs, ODEON Cinemas and AFC Bournemouth, demonstrating the breadth of Out of Home environments that can potentially be explored.
A Flexible Approach for Growing Brands
An additional benefit is Cognosco’s ability, where appropriate, to undertake a syndicated sales approach, representing a portfolio of complementary, non-competing food and drink brands.
This can create efficiencies for manufacturers while giving buyers access to a wider selection of relevant products through an established sales relationship.
Brands Cognosco has worked with include Glebe Farm Foods, Moving Mountains, Furniss, Oatopia and other businesses operating across mainstream, vegan, plant-based and free-from categories.
A Strong Track Record of Growth
Cognosco’s work is focused on measurable commercial growth rather than marketing activity alone.
Examples shared by the company include supporting Glebe Farm Oat Milk from zero sales to approximately £4 million, while its work with Moving Mountains helped take sales from zero to more than £10 million.
These examples demonstrate the potential value of combining a strong product with targeted market research, experienced sales representation and sustained account development.
More Than Sales Representation
Cognosco can support businesses at different stages of their development. Services include market research and planning, sales strategy development, mentoring, new business prospecting and outsourced national account support.
The team can also undertake market and commercial audits for businesses considering new market entry or mergers and acquisitions, drawing on first-hand knowledge of the food and drink trade.
This means the relationship can begin with identifying where a product should be positioned and which channels offer the strongest opportunities, before progressing into practical prospecting and account development.
Supporting Free-From and Specialist Food Brands
For businesses producing free-from, allergen-aware, vegan, plant-based or other specialist products, gaining distribution can be a significant barrier to growth.
A good product still needs to reach the right wholesalers, distributors and operators – and buyers need to understand where that product fits within their existing range and customer requirements.
Cognosco’s experience of both specialist products and mainstream foodservice channels can therefore be particularly useful to suppliers looking to move beyond direct sales and develop a broader presence within the hospitality and Out of Home market.
For suppliers listed on the Food Allergy Aware Supplier Marketplace, Cognosco provides a potential route to the next stage of growth: helping businesses identify opportunities, reach decision-makers and turn increased awareness of their products into sustainable distribution and sales.
Who Could Benefit?
Cognosco’s services may be particularly relevant for:
Established food and drink manufacturers looking to enter new channels or increase distribution.
Growing free-from and specialist brands that need additional sales resource without immediately building a larger in-house team.
Businesses entering UK foodservice that need market insight, introductions and an understanding of routes to market.
Brands with existing wholesale listings that want to increase pull-through by developing relationships with the end-user groups those wholesalers supply.
Manufacturers exploring new sectors such as garden centres, coffee shops, contract catering, education, hospitality or leisure but unsure where to start.
Ultimately, Cognosco helps bridge the gap between having a great product and getting that product in front of the people who can buy, distribute and use it.
Contact Cognosco Marketing
Telephone: +44 (0)1428 654741
Email: office@cognoscomarketing.co.uk
Location: Haslemere, Surrey
Services: Food & drink sales development | Route-to-market strategy | Foodservice & retail development | Wholesaler development | New business prospecting | National account support | Market research & mentoring
