Our Story
Our story began in 1976 when Robert Babakian, a Greek-Cypriot national living in North London noticed that Houmous was not widely available. Recognising the increasing demand for the product and quick to spot a business opportunity, he decided to create his own Houmous dip made from a traditional Greek-Cypriot recipe. Zorba Delicacies Limited was born.
In 1996, Zorba Delicacies was purchased by private investors and in 1998, a new factory was built in South Wales to allow for product range expansion.
Having grown to a range of more than 80 product lines, Zorba was then sold in 2003 to The Entrepreneurial Food Group. Further expansion led to a new state of the art factory which was built in 2006 next door to the original site.
In 2011, a new soup production facility for The Real Soup Co was completed, further increasing the product range available and providing additional space for future development.
Today…
From humble beginnings, Zorba Delicacies has grown into a multi-million-pound manufacturer of dips, deli fillers and soups.
We’re proud to manufacture dips and deli fillers for the UK’s leading grocery retailers and foodservice operators, and the longevity of our customer relationships is proof that we deliver! Our experience in both the retail and foodservice sectors means we understand your needs.
We don’t try to do everything – we just concentrate on what we do best!
Dedicated account managers, a high service level, innovative, high quality products and experience of the sector all combine to give you a business partner that means business!
We never compromise on service – we constantly exceed our target level of 99.5%. The best supply chains aren’t just fast and cost-effective – they’re also agile and adaptable.
Our ability to respond rapidly to new trends and flavours is second to none, which means new products can be on your shelves as quickly as possible. Our continual commitment to providing Quality, Value, Innovation and Service ensures that you can trust us to deliver. Always.
We operate a robust supplier assurance programme and carry out a worldwide audit programme of suppliers run by our in-house auditor; this means we can track our ingredients from field to factory.
We are members of the Soil Association, so you can be sure of the very highest product quality and consistency – and continuity of supply – at all times.
You can source the best ingredients in the world but you still need people to create the best products! Zorba Delicacies is one of the largest employers in our area with a skilled workforce of more than 300 people. We believe in recruiting directly from the immediate area whenever possible.
We’re based in the heart of the vibrant South Wales Valleys – a progressive, investment-rich area which is proud of its powerful industrial heritage. We believe passionately in investing in our people, so work with specialist providers and our own dedicated in-house trainer to help improve our employees’ work and life skills.
The local community is also important to us. We are members of the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) and participate in its ‘Feeding Britain’s Future’ programme with local schools. We invest in local sport through sponsorship of the Ebbw Vale rugby team in the Welsh Premiership, and actively support local charities and children’s community sports teams. We also work with universities and colleges to provide coursework opportunities, apprenticeships, NVQ programmes and work experience.
We care for our surroundings and work with The Carbon Trust and external bodies to regularly monitor and improve our energy usage, in order to minimise our impact on the environment. We’re compliant with the European ESOS energy audit scheme.
We’re also committed to recycling materials wherever possible.
