For Filipinos, food is a major component of the bonding experience. Little do some of them know, though, the story behind each bite. This is the world of Dorthee Li, who thrives in the earlier stages of really good eats in the Philippines. Through her company Premier Food Choice, a food supplier offering top-quality beef, pork, seafood, and poultry, the young entrepreneur has found immense joy in food…in more ways than one.

“The best feeling is when I see random people enjoying our meat products, without them even knowing it,” begins Li. One of the fun things about the behind-the-scenes food business, she adds, is getting to visit client establishments to see which products people are enjoying the most. This is where the fuel for her passion originates, in part. But even the technical aspects of the business boil down to something basic. “Food is nourishment,” she aptly puts it. “But food is also about traditions, family memories, celebrations, and different emotions! History tells us that society used to be built around the process of gathering, preparing, and eating food together.” For Li, this is where her passion and purpose converge: at the dining table.

It Started With an Opportunity

At the core of things, Li sees her love of good food as a reflection of life’s simple pleasures. (Who doesn’t love a good meal?) And it’s a pleasure that happens to also fill a gap in the food industry.

“When we started serving food institutions, we realized there was an unmet demand for good-value frozen meat products in the Philippines,” she states, as not all meat products are cut, packed, stored, or prepared in the same way. “Our clientele includes mostly food establishments and businesses, so we know how important quality, value, and efficiency are.”

It’s here where Premier Food Choice began sourcing top-tier products internationally, at the best possible price for their clients, delivering these items to them efficiently—fresh, as always.

Today, Li’s company is on an upward trajectory, with fresh meat, seafood, and produce suppliers from almost 25 countries across the globe. While the local business goes on to supply food establishments nationwide, it hopes to reach even more Filipino tables in the years to come through different forms of expansion.

A Passion That Runs in the Family

The way Li sees it, the biggest businesses in the world are family businesses. In her case, working with family means trust and confidence are baked into the equation, where members of the clan each handle their respective areas to the best of their abilities. Li quips about working alongside her brother: “I couldn’t ask for better teammates.”

That said, the job comes with its hurdles. As a young entrepreneur, Li says managing people older than her—those who had more experience—was a serious challenge at the beginning. “[It was] quite intimidating at first,” she says. “But experience is the best teacher, and you’ll quickly learn that as a leader in the company, you are an orchestrator of a working orchestra, and you don’t have to be playing all the instruments to do your job well.”

A practical leader herself, Li finds a way to let all sorts of food experts thrive in the company. “We prefer to hire people with better expertise and experience,” she adds. “[This allows everyone] to contribute better to the team!”

Keeping It Fresh in the Biz

The expertise in the food industry is crucial. When asked about what foodies might not know about the business behind the scenes, she reveals it takes a lot of work to ensure high-quality frozen meat products—a world of technicalities and some seriously strict science.

“Premier Food Choice’s frozen meat products are blast frozen from their freshest state, ensuring that all nutrients and freshness are locked in,” explains Li. “At every point in the supply chain, our product containers are maintained at a certain temperature.” This is just one of the non-negotiable and constant factors that show Premier Food Choice handles products with “utmost care and attention to ensure the best quality standards.”

Get in touch with Dorthee Li thru her email address: dorthee.li@gmail.com

—alike.com.ph

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