How to Sell Food Products to Hotels and Restaurants in the UAE (HORECA Guide)

Who decides in a HORECA account

What makes a hotel or restaurant switch supplier

Consistency

A kitchen cannot rewrite recipes every time a batch changes. Show your quality controls, specifications and shelf-life data.

Cost per portion, not price per kilo

Chefs and F&B teams think in plate cost. Show yield, waste and cost per portion so they can compare you fairly with what they use now.

Reliability

Running out on a busy weekend is worse than paying a little more. Prove stock levels, delivery days and a back-up plan.

A story guests value

Locally made, specialty, healthy or premium ingredients can earn menu mentions. A clear story helps the chef sell your product on the menu.

Compliance

Hotels and chains need suppliers with the correct trade licence, product registration, labels and food safety documentation. Check current requirements with Dubai Municipality or the authority in your emirate.

Steps to win your first HORECA accounts

1. Confirm product registration, labelling and food safety documents for each emirate you supply.
2. Develop food service pack sizes and a specification sheet per product.
3. Decide your route: direct delivery, a food service distributor, or both.
4. Build a target list of 50 hotels, restaurant groups and cafes that match your product.
5. Find the chef and purchasing contacts on LinkedIn and through industry events.
6. Offer a sample drop or chef demo, with recipe ideas for their menu style.
7. Send a one-page price list with cost per portion, delivery days and minimum order.
8. Follow up within a week, ask for a trial order and track results with the chef.

Original HORECA pitch pack checklist

• One-page brand and product overview with photos.
• Specification sheet: ingredients, allergens, shelf life, storage, pack sizes.
• Registration and food safety documents ready to share.
• Price list with cost per portion examples.
• Delivery days, lead time and minimum order quantity.
• Three recipe or menu ideas tailored to the target venue.
• Sample request form and named contact person.
• Payment terms and invoicing details.

A worked example

Here is an illustrative example. A UAE producer of specialty sauces sold only through supermarkets. It created 2 kg food service tubs, prepared a specification sheet and costed each sauce per 30 g portion. It listed 40 casual dining restaurants and hotel all-day dining outlets, contacted chefs on LinkedIn and offered free samples with three dish ideas. Several chefs asked for trials. The brand partnered with a food service distributor for delivery and invoicing, and kept WhatsApp ordering for small cafes. Food service became a second, steadier revenue line alongside retail.

Want Husbar to do this for you?

Husbar can build your HORECA pitch pack, chef content and outreach, and help you find the right distributor. Visit our retail marketing service or book a free Growth Audit and we will map the hotels and restaurants most likely to buy from you.

Content that chefs actually use

Chefs respond to useful content: short videos of your product in real dishes, yield tests, storage tips and menu ideas by cuisine. Share them on LinkedIn and Instagram and leave printed recipe cards with samples. This shows the product in their world, not on a supermarket shelf.

Keeping accounts after the first order

Visit or call chefs regularly, ask how the product performs, alert them early to price changes and help with menu promotions. A supplier who solves problems keeps the account even when a cheaper competitor calls.

How Husbar helps

Husbar helps food and beverage brands grow in retail and food service: positioning, pitch packs, chef-focused content, LinkedIn outreach, trade events and distributor marketing. Our retail marketing team can take this on end to end, or support your team. book a free Growth Audit.

Questions to ask before you start

• Are our products registered and labelled for food service?
• What is our cost per portion versus what chefs use now?
• Can we guarantee supply on peak weekends?
• Which venues fit our product best?
• Do we need a distributor?

Key terms

• HORECA: hotels, restaurants and cafes (catering).
• Food service pack: large pack size for kitchens.
• Cost per portion: the cost of the ingredient in one serving.
• Approved supplier: a supplier cleared by a hotel or group procurement team.
• Specification sheet: technical details of a product.

Mistakes to avoid

• Pitching retail packs to kitchens.
• Only talking to purchasing, never to chefs.
• Ignoring cost per portion.
• Promising supply you cannot keep.
• No follow-up after samples.

Why retail growth needs both footfall and online demand

Most shoppers now research online before they buy, even when they buy in store. Retailers that combine local search visibility, social proof, strong in-store experience and online ordering capture customers at every step instead of hoping they walk past.

Related reading: how to get products into supermarkets, how to find a distributor in the UAE, food brand marketing in the UAE and Husbar for FMCG brands.