How Agora Delicacies brings the flavours of Greece to the UK with the help of Wise Business

Do you ever find yourself craving the rich and savoury flavours of Greek cuisine, only to be disappointed by the lack of options in your local supermarket? Well, you're not alone.

Michael Sofianos and Christina Lyropoulou, who were born in Greece and are the founders of Agora Greek Delicacies, faced a similar dilemma back in 2012 feeling nostalgic for the taste of home as a student based in Glasgow. That's why they founded their online Greek shop, which initially sold just 30 items. 11 years on, Agora Greek Delicacies specialises in foods & drinks in online retail and in wholesale too, with a range of 1200 items selling everything from Gyros, the authentic Greek wrap, to frozen Spanakopita spinach pies, to high quality Ouzo, beers and wines.

Wise Business has been with them on this journey to source the best Greek products from the very beginning, helping them with payments of any size to their Greek suppliers, ranging from as little as €50 to €50,000, which Michael can pay all from within the Wise app.

Filling the Greek Food Gap

Michael's story begins in 2012 when he and Christina realised that their house parties were lacking in Tsipouro, a strong traditional Greek spirit often served as an aperitif, and that locally available spirits would not cut it. Michael explains that availability of Greek products was very poor unless you lived in London: "In London, it's like a different country. It's a bit isolated from the rest of the UK. Even if there were Greek foods and drinks in London, they weren't available in the supermarkets in Glasgow or generally for Greeks living in the UK." That's when Michael and Christina decided to become the bridge between the UK and Greece, by starting to directly import products, serving the entire UK, and have since also expanded to wholesale.

''Their parents or friends based in Greece would send parcels with Greek foods to the UK. So now after so many years, we still have orders from Greece to be sent to local UK addresses for Greeks living here.''

Michael admits at first, it wasn't easy: "It was more like a gamble because we realised that people don't really need us. They were used to what they could find in the UK." However, Michael was determined to fill this gap, as many Greeks relied on parcels sent by relatives in Greece to satisfy their cravings. That's where Michael and Christina saw an opportunity to bring authentic Greek products directly to their customers. Over the years, their business grew and is now even receiving orders from Greece, delivered to local UK addresses. Nowadays, they also work with non-Greek clientele to supply Greek delicacies, along with catering wholesale for restaurants and caterers around the UK.

Paying Greek suppliers with Wise Business

One of the critical factors contributing to Michael's success is the ability to import high quality Greek products directly - approximately 99% of their products are sourced from across Greece, as they have a network of over 50 producers in both mainland and the islands. Michael explains: "We attend exhibitions in Athens and Thessaloniki, or conduct online searches to find our suppliers. We always have someone on the ground in Greece to assist us, so we get the best products."

This is where Wise Business plays a pivotal role, as Michael pays his Greek suppliers in Euros. He explains: "Wise Business has been an amazing help because when we started, we were using a traditional UK bank. Once we realised the significant difference Wise, could make to the cost of payments, it became invaluable to us. Whether it's small invoices or big ones, Wise has been transparent about the fees, available 24/7 and has saved us money when paying our suppliers.'' Michael also appreciates the autoconversion feature, which lets them freeze their exchange rates until they reach the price that works for them, allowing for more savings on their multi-currency transfers.

''We tried a different provider who charged us a weekend transaction fee. But sometimes weekends are the only time we have time to pay our suppliers. So that's where Wise is really good, you always know the fee upfront and it doesn't change''.

Michael Sofianos and Christina Lyropoulou, owners of Agora Greek Delicacies

Michael explains that Wise's low fees enable him to pay multiple invoices in order to diversify his range": Sometimes we could purchase just a few cases from a supplier, allowing us to keep invoices below €200. This has greatly benefited our product range, enabling us to offer a wider variety to our customers and expand our product selection."

Highlighting the key advantages of Wise Business, Michael adds, "I appreciate the mid-market exchange rate and the ability to transfer money 24/7. This flexibility is crucial for my business, which operates round the clock and often collaborates with suppliers across different time zones. I've experimented with other providers who couldn't offer these features."

Going global with Greek cuisine

As for future expansion, Michael and his team had ambitious plans, wanting to expand to countries like Belgium, Germany, France and Netherlands. However, due to recent challenges including Brexit and the pandemic, they've put their European expansion on hold.

But Michael remains optimistic and determined, continuing to provide their customers with the tastes of Greece wherever they are in the UK. He highlights that all food, whether it's ambient, chilled or frozen, isn't waiting around in the warehouse: ''We don't have stuff waiting back. Everything is fresh and the stock moves fast to the customers.'' Whether it's Feta, Gyros or frozen food, Agora Greek Delicacies has been growing, and is planning to use other Wise Business features such as debit cards and team controls as they scale their operations.

As Agora Greek Delicacies continues to thrive, Wise Business remains their trusted partner, offering seamless multi-currency solutions and empowering them to do what they do best: bringing the authentic flavours of Greece to their customers.