For Importers & Brand Owners

How we work

One process, six steps, and a lead time attached to each of them. Below is what happens after you send a brief, who is responsible for it, and what you should have in writing before the next step starts.

First reply
Within 24 h
Sampling
7–10 days
Production
25–35 days
Start with a brief See the six steps
The First 24 Hours

What comes back, before you have committed to anything

Most enquiries stall because the first reply is a question rather than an answer. Ours carries the three numbers buyers need to decide whether to keep talking.

◫

A real MOQ for that line

Not a container. The opening quantity for the format you asked about, and what changes if you take a larger volume or a second SKU.

▤

An indicative price band

FOB and CIF, by volume tier. It is a band rather than a single number because packaging and format move it — but it is enough to test against your target retail price.

◔

The sampling policy

Lead time, what the sample costs, and whether that cost is credited against your first order. Stated in the first reply, not discovered after you ask for samples.

If your brief is still vague — "we want to add a freeze-dried line" — that is enough to start. We will ask the two or three questions that actually change the answer, rather than send a form.

The Process

Six steps, with the clock on each

Lead times run in working days from a named start point, so you can hold us to them. Where a step depends on something from your side, it says so.

1

Brief

Same day

Category, format, pack size, market and volume. Sent through the form or by email.

2

Reply

≤ 24 hours

MOQ, price band and sampling policy, from someone who can answer rather than route.

3

Quotation

1–2 days

FOB / CIF by volume tier, written specification, sampling terms.

4

Sampling

7–10 days

Made to the agreed specification, plus courier transit.

5

Order & production

25–35 days

1–3 days to lock the spec and receive the deposit, then the production run.

6

QC & ship

3–5 days

Final inspection, export documents, loading.

The 25–35 day production window starts on deposit and artwork approval, whichever is later. Artwork is the item most often still open at that point — approving it early is the single biggest lever you have over the delivery date.

Paper Trail

What you receive at each step

Nothing here is agreed verbally. Each step closes with a document, and the next step does not start until it is agreed.

Within 24 hours MOQ for the line · indicative FOB and CIF band · sampling lead time, fee and whether it is credited against the first order
Quotation (1–2 days) Price by volume tier · written specification (protein, format, grading, pack, net weight) · sampling terms · lead time from a named start point
Sampling (7–10 days) Physical samples · the specification sheet they were made against · courier tracking
Order confirmation (1–3 days) Proforma invoice listing specification, quantity, price terms and payment arrangement · production schedule with the run dates on it
Production (25–35 days) Photo updates at three QC checkpoints · notice of any deviation before shipment, not after
QC & shipping (3–5 days) Final inspection record · packing list and invoice · bill of lading · the export documents your market requires, as agreed in the quotation
Where It Slips

The four things that actually delay an order

Lead times are only useful if you know what breaks them. In our experience it is rarely production itself:

  • Artwork approval — packaging film and print are ordered against your approved artwork, and production cannot start without it
  • A new formula or a new shape — an extra sampling round, which has its own 7–10 days
  • Your side of the border — import permits, label review and product registration sit with you or your importer, not with us
  • Chinese New Year — the one predictable disruption in the year; schedules tighten for two to three weeks either side of it
Finished cartons being loaded for export shipment
Questions

Before the first call

Can I get a price before I commit to a volume?
Yes, as a band. We quote FOB and CIF across the volume tiers in the first reply, so you can see where your target quantity lands. A firm per-unit price needs a format and a pack, because packaging is usually the largest single line in the cost.
What is actually in the quotation?
Price by volume tier, the written specification (protein source, format, grading, pack format, net weight), the sampling terms and the lead time with its start point named. If something is not in there, it is not agreed — ask for it in writing before you pay a deposit.
Can I see samples before placing an order?
That is the normal path, not an exception. Samples take 7–10 days from specification agreement plus courier transit. The fee and whether it is credited against your first order are stated in the quotation, before you ask.
How does payment work?
The arrangement is written on the proforma invoice — amount, currency, terms and the point at which each part falls due. Production is scheduled on receipt of the deposit. We do not take card payments on this website; there is no checkout, because every order is quoted individually.
Can I use my own freight forwarder?
Yes. Take the FOB price and nominate your forwarder at the loading port. If you would rather not manage that, we quote CIF to your destination port instead. Both options are in the quotation, so you are comparing the same goods.
What if my market needs a document you do not hold?
We will say so at quotation stage rather than at the port. Certificates are held per facility and per product, so the honest answer depends on the line you order — see certifications for what is normally available and how to verify it independently.
Also Considered

Where to go next

Start small

Low MOQ programme

How small an opening order can be, and what changes as volume increases.

Low MOQ →
Volume pricing

Wholesale supply

Volume-tiered FOB and CIF, planned capacity and one point of contact.

Wholesale supply →
Ingredient

Freeze-dried food toppers

Topper-grade supply for pet food brands, graded to your line.

Topper range →
Start Here

Send the brief

Category, market and rough volume is enough for a useful first reply. We answer within 24 hours on business days.

Please choose a category.
Please choose a quantity.
Please enter your company name.
Please enter a valid email.
We reply within 24 hours on business days.