From legal aspirations, to drama school, to brand owner and specialty distribution, it’s been an interesting (to say the least!) pathway to the F&B industry for my latest guest on Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast. This week I chat with the incredible Melinda Dimitriades-Catt. As a professional cook, small goods and cheese expert, and speciality food distributor based in Sydney, Melinda has navigated the trenches of the speciality food world.
With her profound love for speciality produce and keen understanding of consumer preferences, Melinda shares insights from her journey, highlighting the importance of packaging that captures attention, the strategic timing of involving producers in-store, and mastering the art of specialisation.
Tune in to this week’s episode to discover:
🚚 Packaging techniques that grabs the attention of consumers.
🚚 The pros and cons of direct store delivery.
🚚 How to successfully introduce your products to new retailers.
🚚 The role of specialisation in building a strong brand identity.
🚚 Tips for capturing the attention of distributors.
🚚 Common pitfalls to avoid in specialty food distribution.
If you’re looking to learn tips on distributing your specialty product and capturing a distributor's attention, you won’t want to miss this episode!
LINKS & RESOURCES:
Season 15
Season 15, out now, is 'Marketing Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival.
The highly anticipated 2026 BiteBack Awards & Foodpreneurs Festival are both must-attend events dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists and distributors together under one roof.
You can't miss these events. Here’s why:
The full program drops early 2026. For now, block out May 21-22 and click this link to see how you can be part of it.
