Empire Foods: Where Delivering ‘Quality’ is the Only Priority

With each passing day, the Indian Seafood industry is embracing all the traditional as well as new-age regulations and driving the country towards better economic growth. It stands tall amongst the leading quality seafood providers to all the major markets across the world. It has become the largest exporter of shrimp to USA, the 2^nd largest to Europe and the 4^th largest to Japan, says an independent report.

Effectively following the quality control constraints and international regulatory requirements have empowered the seafood processing plants within the industry to reach the epitome of success. With technology joining the foray, the seafood solution providing companies have to be on their toes to withstand the complexities of skyrocketing demands, thereby achieving a significant export turnover.

One such fastest-growing company that has surpassed all the challenges and created a niche in the Seafood industry is Empire Foods, a division of Empire Industries Ltd. Living by ‘Quality’, the company’s consistent efforts have placed it amongst the leading importers & exporters of seafood products in the country. Empire Foods imports an array of seafood, meat, and other rare products from all over the globe and market them pan India. Its export facilities showcase growing and processing premium Vannamei Shrimps from the pristine waters of the Eastern coast of India. Besides, its processing plant is located in the beautiful city of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

Sailing it Right

Mr. Yogesh Grover is the Founder Director at Empire Foods. A Science graduate and a Chartered Accountant by profession, Mr. Yogesh has a vast experience of working in Europe and Africa. After coming back to India, he observed that the seafood served in India was unable to satisfy the quality standards. Though having the availability of a 7200 km of coastline, he acknowledged that most of the top-quality products were getting exported and the nation was dependent on the quality of seafood far below international standards.

Considering this, Mr. Grover introduced ‘Basa’ fish in the year 2008 which completely transformed the way Indian hotels served fish. Later, he successfully established Empire Foods with a vision to roll out quality seafood products available globally or locally to the Indian consumers. Since then, the sole mission is to satisfy customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders in the longer run.

Today, the company has PAN India branches with a strong and unassailable cold chain distribution network. Under his aegis, the company serves rare products like Nile Perch, Seabass, Black cod and Truffles to the consumers across the country.

The Helm of Expansion

Empire Foods imports Basa, Raw & Smoked salmon, Nile perch, Lamb, Pork, Duck, Chilean Sea bass, Black cod, Tuna Saku, Tilapia, Caviar, Truffles, and many other products from all over the world. Today, it has 40% of the market share of seafood products in India. Its commitment to delivering quality has helped it in being a frontrunner in the Hotel – Restaurant – Cafe (HORECA) segment in most of its products. Backed by 400 dedicated professionals, Empire Foods through this segment serves various luxurious hotels including the Taj Group of Hotels, Hyatt, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, ITC Hotels, The LaLiT, Le Méridien, etc. Moreover, it also caters to Special Occasions and Air Catering that includes TajSATS and Oberoi Flight Kitchen. Empire Foods is one of the major suppliers to Ship chandeliers across the country.

Be it import or export, Empire Seafood’s well-established Quality Control (QC) department plays a pivotal in performing microbiological and other tests on every product, starting right from the fish farms, with utmost excellence. Its Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliant processing plant ensures that the consumers meet the best quality products. Recently, the company has implemented a novel system in this plant which is approved by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority of India (MPEDA).

Empire Seafoods is a British Retail Consortium (BRC) and International Featured Standard (IFS) certified company. Recognizing the robust inspection system in the US and Europe, the company takes strong directives to follow the guidelines laid as per the norms of each importing country.

The agenda of quenching the needs of customers alongside satisfying the partners is what keeps Empire Foods ‘Moving’. It is all set to tread the extra mile and be a 1000 crore turnover company by 2025.

Empire foods is the most awarded company in the seafood industry:

Overhauling the Tides

Embracing the new-age tech-enabled advancements, the company consistently puts its best foot forward in upgrading its machinery to outperform own milestones. We participate in various food shows, strongly does e-marketing and also meets the international visitors on a regular basis to engage the existing and new clientele. Empire Foods keeps on developing new products including raw as well as cooked ones alongside working on the online sales tool for the market.

Talking about Empire Foods’ success, Mr. Grover says, “In my opinion, the success of any organization is determined by the strength of their team. Only a happy and motivated team can bring the best results for the company. I understand employees need and act accordingly.”

“Our business is like a family and we grow together happily. Our mantra is to enjoy doing what we do. When we enjoy our work, everyone associated with us also enjoys our services,” he added further.

The Success Mantra

Mr. Grover believes that success comes to those who are passionate about what they do and continuously strive for it. Acknowledging the complexities of the industry, he advises the young entrepreneurs to always look for a solution. He says, “There will be new issues and challenges coming up on a daily basis as the seafood industry is very dynamic. You should focus only on solutions without worrying about problems.”

To explore more about the ‘Empire’ of Empire Foods visit – empirefoods.co.in