1 December 2025
Small supplier TMK Foods joined a select group of businesses honoured at the Shoprite Group’s 2025 Supplier of the Year Awards, where their innovation and growth were celebrated alongside other exceptional nominees and winners.
The event, held this past weekend at Boschendal Wine Estate in Franschhoek, paid tribute to the invaluable role suppliers play in driving the Group’s momentum and overall success.
Founded in 2010 by former restaurateur Dino Constantinou, Durban-based TMK Foods began as a small, home-grown operation making Mediterranean dips, pestos and meze for local customers. As demand grew, the business moved from Dino’s kitchen into a small factory, and in 2018 his sons Alex, Michael and Angelo joined to help expand production.
Left to right: Alex Constantinou (CEO of TMK Foods), Maude Modise (Enterprise and Government Relations Executive at the Shoprite Group) and Angelo Constantinou (Sales Director of TMK Foods)
A referral to the Shoprite Group’s small supplier development programme in 2023 proved to be a turning point. Within just over a year of signing with the Group, their Mediterranean Kitchen brand grew from five Checkers stores in KwaZulu-Natal to a national footprint, with a product range that has more than doubled, including hummus, tzatziki, poppers and marinated feta.
The increased exposure has boosted monthly sales from a few hundred units to several thousand, allowing TMK Foods to hire additional employees while retaining the authentic, homemade quality that defines the brand.
“On behalf of my family and our incredible team, I want to extend a big thank you to the Shoprite Group for taking small businesses like ours under their wing. The exposure and support we’ve received have allowed us not only to expand our business, but also to provide stability and put food on the tables of the people who depend on us. We’re deeply grateful to be part of such an inspiring story.”
- Angelo Constantinou, Sales Director of TMK Foods
Angelo Constantinou, Sales Director of TMK Foods.
Finalists were assessed across 12 categories, with judges considering factors such as their impact on the retailer's growth and earnings, reliability in stock and service levels, administrative efficiency, and the support they offer to stores.
The full list of 2025 Shoprite Group Supplier of the Year Award winners are:
- General Merchandise & Furniture: HTH
- Professional Suppliers: 99c
- Fruit & Vegetable Producers: Eldorado Fresh Lettuce Producers
- Fresh Departments: RCL Foods BBR
- Alcoholic Beverages: The Really Great Brand Company
- Groceries: Joekels Tea Packers
- Snacks & Beverages: Truda Foods
- Perishables: Lancewood - a division of Libstar
- Personal Care: Colgate Palmolive
- SMME: TMK Foods
- Sustainability: Danone
- Private Label & Supplier Partnerships: Krispy Kreme SA