TXANTON 2023: Distribution and Retailing of Fine Wines, Premium Foods and Exclusive Accessories - First Jamoneria in the Philippines!
In the world of fine wines, premium foods, and exclusive accessories, one name has emerged as a true pioneer, revolutionizing the Philippine market with unparalleled expertise and a relentless passion for excellence. Meet Besay González, the visionary CEO behind TXANTON, the country's first-ever Jamoneria. With a remarkable blend of entrepreneurship, culinary expertise, and a deep appreciation for the art of gastronomy, González has single-handedly transformed the Filipino dining landscape. In this article, we delve into the captivating journey of Besay González, as he shares his remarkable story of bringing the finest wines, premium foods, and exclusive accessories to the Philippines, captivating the hearts and palates of discerning connoisseurs along the way. Join Delivery Rank as we explore more about Txanton.
What inspired you to establish a company specializing in importing, distributing, and retailing fine wines, premium foods, and exclusive accessories?
Two reasons: passion and market niche opportunity.
Passion is the engine. Without it, nothing can happen at all or at least, not for staying long enough. We love the finest stuff. Eating, drinking, and consuming those goods but on top of this, we love teaching people how to enjoy them. When you bump into locals who are looking for something else, there you go. And the chemistry happening during that simple act of assisting them, it’s so unique. It's like a connection through food and wine with not too much talk involved. 2 people speaking the same language without speaking at all, right?
Market niche opportunity. There are so many amazing products made all over the world with little showcases looking for partners who can introduce those ones and understand why they are so special. It’s not just about picking what everyone knows, which we also do and it's part of our business but also curating and selecting what you think people will love. That’s part of creating trends too and it's what we try to do. People tend to follow what markets demand but, a niche opportunity comes also from having a hunch, believing in yourself, taking risks, facing a recession, coping with a challenging mishap.
Can you share some insights into the selection process for the products your company offers? What criteria do you use to ensure the highest quality?
When it comes to selection, we play with 3 factors:
References. They are key. There is nothing more powerful than word of mouth. Among the finest makers, obviously too. A great producer will never recommend something that he thinks is not at the level, no matter the friendship between makers. It could compromise his reputation so what's the point? And when you are working with those makers, they are so happy to introduce more from their community. I think that’s the feeling, making you part of a community.
Going to food and wine fairs. You gotta experience it all. The ones that people recommend and then ones who are not recommended. No matter. What you want specifically for your business will never be exactly the same as what the other company wants. So I do research and follow my vibes. Not necessarily doing the same fairs every year but experiencing new ones as much as I can. The fairs are not only good for reinforcing existing relations with suppliers but also for new discoveries.
Market demand. Of course you will bring what you feel it can work, what you see is aligned with your philosophy but in the end, also what you are seeing marke is demanding in short terms. Still in our end, we don’t bring anything that's not suitable with our essence and frankly, no matter if the market demands it or not. We can't make business with something that does not involve passion.
The criteria to ensure higher quality is to work with professional suppliers. Not only from the making point but also from the logistic part. Treating products following every requirement to ensure freshness and quality to the final consumer. Nowadays, still you can find all over the world plenty of importers bringing stuff (that is supposed to be, it requires refrigeration) under dry containers. They have their theories about certain times in the year that shipping is better because it is colder… I can't believe it. In our case in the Philippines, we are few still following refrigeration and, in a tropical country like this, there is no math. it's always between hot and hottest.
How does TXANTON differentiate itself from other companies in the market that offer similar products?
Customer service. No matter if you are cheaper or more expensive. U have a nicer or uglier store, you are located in the middle of nowhere or super traffic walking location. When you take care of clients, treat them like part of the group or community I mentioned before. When you make clear that money is not the goal of the service given, things flow so naturally. Of course, it’s a business, we need the revenue! But one thing we see a lot in the market is the mentality of making money in short terms, we look for long terms, short terms are not part of our equation and will never be.
There are many other factors that make us different from our competitors, even the way we communicate frequently with our clients or other reasons mentioned above that at some point, affect positively to differentiate our business from the other competitors.
Can you describe the relationship between TXANTON and the producers and artisans you work with? How do you establish and maintain these partnerships?
Very close. I believe you can’t develop brands just by buying their products. They must know you, you must know them. Find a way to meet in person, visit them in their places, arrange things in your place to bring them over and see what you are willing to do. A priori, all of this seems to be pretty obvious but in reality, many people get lazy and don’t follow. Honestly, it's like taking care of friends, especially those in the distance. We grow and it's hard to keep in contact with all of them, everyone is so freaking busy, you still love them but people don’t make time to reach out themselves often because they don’t find it vital, right? I try to keep in contact with many as I do with my producers and artisans. It’s the only way to try hard to keep everything going in the right direction. And it does not guarantee you will succeed
In an industry that can be highly competitive, how does TXANTON maintain its reputation for providing exceptional products and service?
Communication, training, skill development. We invest a lot in our team. Education is crucial in this business. Teaching people how to think is more complex from what It seems. We were taught in schools how to think, debate teams all around and learn how to question but the truth is the more you grow, the more stubborn you become. How many times did we hear “hold on, why do you want to change that? It's ok, we've been doing this for 20 years and it always works, let it go”. If you don’t invest in the education of your team, no one will ever question anything and what we actually need is people questioning themselves and their decisions with frequency.
Today works, tomorrow may not and, day after tomorrow? who the hell knows” This premise is in the mind of our team. They love discussing and coming out with new ideas to please our clients and enhance their experiences when buying or dine in in our facilities.
If you would like to find out more about Txanton, visit https://www.txanton.com.ph/