The Food Chain · BBC World Service

The buyers

·26 min·2 clips

Jim Galkin admits he had to 'sound like I know what I'm talking about when I don't actually' to break into seafood trading.

This episode of The Food Chain explores the crucial role of international food buyers who source products like tea, chocolate, and seafood for global markets. Host Ruth Alexander speaks with three experienced buyers: Beatrice Muraguri, a tea buyer and exporter in Kenya; Chloé Dutra-Rosel, a specialist in sourcing cacao beans for fine chocolate; and Jim Gulkin, a frozen seafood trader based in Bangkok. Beatrice Muraguri explains she buys tea at auctions in Mombasa, where over 70 registered buyers compete for the same clients. Jim Gulkin details that his seafood trading company negotiates deals ranging from single containers to contracts for major retailers like Walmart or Aldi spanning over 100 containers. Chloé Dutra-Rosel describes her process of tasting cacao samples and assessing supplier reliability for bean-to-bar chocolate makers. The UK imports roughly 46% of its food, spending billions, which illustrates the scale of these global supply chains. Buyers must navigate factors like price, quality, ethical standards, and reliable shipping timelines. Beatrice notes that a single container of tea can be worth $50,000-$60,000, and shipments can get stuck due to events like the recent ban on Kenyan tea by Sudan. A surprising insight is that Jim Gulkin prioritizes a supplier's personal integrity over their facility's appearance, stating a modest operation with trustworthy people is better than a state-of-the-art plant with unreliable owners. Chloé reveals that for a high-end chocolate bar, the cacao cost is at most 20%, so she advises clients to cut marketing costs rather than farmer payments. Climate change has made planning difficult, as Beatrice says Kenya's unpredictable rains now wreak havoc on tea quality and harvest timing. Jim shares that forgiveness is a key skill, as circumstances beyond control often force suppliers to break promises. Conversely, Beatrice says she has grown more ruthless over time about holding producers to deals. Chloé emphasizes that deep human connections allow her to secure the best cacao lots for VIP clients before shipment. The episode reveals that buyers often face high-stakes risks, like clients rejecting shipments when market prices fall. Building long-term, win-win relationships is a universal strategy, with Chloé describing arduous journeys to remote farms to strengthen bonds. The tone is conversational and educational, blending personal career stories with detailed trade mechanics. The style is interview-based, allowing each buyer to share candid anecdotes and professional philosophies. Listeners interested in global trade, supply chain ethics, and the human stories behind everyday groceries will find this episode fascinating. Those seeking a highly structured narrative or debate on food policy might find the conversational format less engaging.

As heard by us

A clear look at the risk and trust behind buying that keeps trade moving.

"The buyers" turns a supermarket shelf into a story about risk, trust, and judgment. It starts with imported food and stays close to the work behind it: tea buying in Mombasa, chocolate sourcing, sample checks, and the uneasy moment when a shipment lands after the market has…

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Why you'd press play

When you want to see how the people behind a supermarket shelf decide what can actually be sold.

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