One producer, three different rulebooks
The producer made an outstanding wine vinegar. To grow beyond the domestic market and a handful of European speciality accounts, they needed to reach organic-focused retailers in Western Europe, kosher-certified accounts in North America and halal-certified markets in the Middle East.
Each of those certifications is a different standard with a different logic. Attempting all three at once would have paralysed the production floor.
A sequence, not a scramble
We began with organic because it required the deepest change: raw material sourcing had to be documented back to certified organic vineyards, and the production line had to prove separation between organic and conventional runs. Once organic was in place, the record-keeping backbone was much easier to extend.
Kosher followed. The core requirements around ingredients and equipment were already partly satisfied by the organic system. We coordinated with a recognised kosher certifier, redesigned the small number of remaining touch points and passed the audit inside four months.
Halal came last because it required the least additional operational change. Ingredients were reviewed, the facility was inspected and the certification was granted on a routine cycle. Sequenced this way, none of the three certifications disrupted daily production.
Throughout, we translated the technical requirements into practical actions the producer could execute without hiring a full-time compliance officer. That is a key part of what a sourcing partner does for small Greek producers.
Three new markets, one coherent producer
The producer now services buyers in three additional markets with a single production line, three matching certificates and a single documentation system. Revenue in year two was significantly above the pre-programme baseline, without diluting the original product.
This is what strategic direct sourcing from Greece looks like when it is done well: not a single transaction, but a producer development path that expands what the buyer can offer over time.
