Spotted at Speciality Fine Food Fair

We were delighted to catch up with PiQi, the organic fermented kefir brand, founded by Aksana, who has been proudly SALSA Approved since 2022. What began as her vision to create a high-quality, health-driven drink has grown into a thriving business, with her products now being stocked in Selfridges, Whole Foods and Planet Organic stores.

Aksana shared how valuable her SALSA certification has been in building trust with buyers and customers alike. Displaying the SALSA Approved logo at trade events such as the Speciality Fine Food Fair helps PiQi stand out in a competitive marketplace and gives confidence to retailers that her products meet the highest standards.

“For buyers and trade customers, it's crucial for us to quickly demonstrate our high standards for manufacturing quality and safety. Since we manufacture all our products in-house, it’s a key point of difference for a small brand like ours.

The SALSA Certification is invaluable in these conversations. Displaying the logo immediately signals to buyers that we have our compliance and food safety covered, allowing us to move forward with negotiations.

Although getting certified felt like a major undertaking early in our journey, it has been instrumental in securing retailers. Our most recent partner, in fact, conducted a thorough review of our entire SALSA report, highlighting just how essential this accreditation is for business growth." 

Aksana Fitzpatrick, PiQi Founder