New West Foods buys European Foods from Yukich family

Fine foods wholesaler European Foods has been snapped up by New West Foods for an undisclosed sum.

The purchase by the Venoutsos family business will see two of Western Australia’s largest homegrown food distributors form a single entity employing about 80 staff.

European Foods is a big name in WA’s gourmet food scene as a significant importer of specialty food and beverage brands from Europe. 

It was the first company to import Parmigiano Reggiano and Campari apertif into the state.

New West Foods managing director Damon Venoutsos said the acquisition was a defining moment for WA’s food distribution industry.

“This acquisition sees an additional range including premium chocolate from Belgium in the Callebaut brand, and cheeses from all over the world including Netherlands, France, UK, Italy and Switzerland,” he said.

“We also see the brands known, created by European Foods decades ago, and admired in food service kitchens across the state, including BIBO, Eureka, Pradera and Cecilia, being available now and complementary to the New West Foods range. 

“It is anticipated this consolidation will see efficiencies and improvement in distribution costs, at a time when food pricing pressure in domestic markets is high and increasing.” 

European Foods is a 90-year-old business founded by Giovanni Re, whose family migrated to Perth from Sicily.

It is best known as the former owner of Leederville’s The Re Store.

The Re family retained ownership of the Re Store when European Foods was sold to the Yukich family’s Y Group in 2019.

New West Food was established in 1988 by Constantine and Despa Venoutsos and has grown into the state’s largest independent food service products distributor.

New West processes more than 200 tonnes of fresh seafood per year, and more than 300 tonnes of Australian and New Zealand cheese at its Malaga base.

A 3.5-year contract to supply food to Optus Stadium signed in 2024 is among New West’s most prominent deals.

The sale includes European Foods’ new Osborne Park warehouse which incorporates the Cheese Cathedral, claimed to be the largest cheese room in Australia.

The former Northbridge warehouse was offloaded to Live Nation last year for $10m.