about us
DELIVERING QUALITY FROM VIETNAMEstablished in 2001 by Martin van Zwanenberg and Giles Whitlam, Tonkin Products are a privately owned UK based food business specialised in sourcing, developing, and producing unique, top-quality, added value, prepared foods & authentic ambient essentials from Vietnam.
We operate permanent onsite British management at our Vietnamese partner sites to assure the absolute quality and integrity of our raw materials, and finished products.
Our key management have all worked directly for Blue Chip retailers, and understand their requirements and expectations to deliver success in partnership together.
Our customers buy from us because we offer unique and innovative added value frozen and chilled prepared foods, and assured ambient products, supported with the standards and integrity required by the best western food retailers.
locations
UK & vietnam
quality
best
standards
european
products
unique & handmade
locations
uk & vietnam
quality
best
standards
european
products
unique & handmade
DELIVERING QUALITY FROM VIETNAM
*****
2001
Established in 2001 by Martin van Zwanenberg and Giles Whitlam, Tonkin Products are a privately owned UK based food business specialised in sourcing, developing, and producing unique, top-quality, added value, prepared foods & authentic ambient essentials from Vietnam.
We operate permanent onsite British management at our Vietnamese partner sites to assure the absolute quality and integrity of our raw materials, and finished products.
Our customers buy from us because we offer unique and innovative added value frozen and chilled prepared foods, and assured ambient products, supported with the standards and integrity required by the best western food retailers.
locations
UK & vietnam
quality
best
standards
european
products
unique & handmade
“We continue to pioneer the delivery of UK Standards in Vietnam for the benefit of our customers”
“We continue to pioneer the delivery of UK Standards in Vietnam for the benefit of our customers”
meet the team
Professional profiles
Giles Whitlam
Giles Whitlam is Managing Director and owner of Tonkin Trading, and Tonkin Products. Having spent many years working in Vietnam, conversing and understanding the culture, Giles has developed an ongoing passion about the country and all it has to offer. He is now based in the UK but regularly visits Vietnam to continue to grow the business and explore opportunities working with the excellent teams in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices.
Giles lived in Hanoi from 1992-1998, to establish a tea development and export business under his family owned company TEA ESTATE AGENGIES LTD. This led to the opening of the Representative Office in Hanoi, in 1994.
Giles worked closely with producers and the Vietnamese tea industry in general and established new standards, quality control procedures, international bulk packing and palletisation – all for new markets. Giles then was able to source other agricultural products for export, such as Cassia, Rubber and Pepper. Additionally this led to sourcing ceramic and other handicrafts for export. Giles also found time to set up Hanoi’s first sandwich bar, ‘No Noodles’ and his restaurant ‘The Verandah’.
On returning to live in the UK, Giles set up Tonkin Trading Limited in London in 1999. He added a tea blending division in 2004 and a physical rubber trading division in 2007.
In 2001 Giles set up Tonkin Products, a Partnership with Martin van Zwaneneberg. The aim was to develop unique hand made, high quality food items for export. In 2012 Giles took on the ownership of a Tea factory in North Vietnam, which is now producing black leaf CTC Tea.
Martin Van Zwanenberg
An experienced Food Technologist who worked in his early Career in the Fishing Industry before Joining Marks and Spencer where for over thirty years he held a number of Senior Positions in Food, Clothing and Homeware.
Andrew Van Zwanenberg
Andrew is Tonkin Products Chief Representative in Vietnam, based permanently in Ho Chi Minh City.
Prior to joining Tonkin Products Andrew worked for Marks and Spencer, having originally started with M&S in 1994 as a Graduate Trainee Technologist.
Andrew left M&S in 2004 to work as Managing Director / Technical Director of a privately owned Chinese Manufacturer of Decorative Glassware and Candles, based in Tianjin, China.
In 2009 Andrew was asked to re-join M&S as a Technical Manager responsible for Homeware, Procurement and the Hong Kong technical team, where he remained until joining Tonkin Products in 2011.
Giles Whitlam
Giles Whitlam is Managing Director and owner of Tonkin Trading, and Tonkin Products. Having spent many years working in Vietnam, conversing and understanding the culture, Giles has developed an ongoing passion about the country and all it has to offer. He is now based in the UK but regularly visits Vietnam to continue to grow the business and explore opportunities working with the excellent teams in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices.
Giles lived in Hanoi from 1992-1998, to establish a tea development and export business under his family owned company TEA ESTATE AGENGIES LTD. This led to the opening of the Representative Office in Hanoi, in 1994.
Giles worked closely with producers and the Vietnamese tea industry in general and established new standards, quality control procedures, international bulk packing and palletisation – all for new markets. Giles then was able to source other agricultural products for export, such as Cassia, Rubber and Pepper. Additionally this led to sourcing ceramic and other handicrafts for export. Giles also found time to set up Hanoi’s first sandwich bar, ‘No Noodles’ and his restaurant ‘The Verandah’.
On returning to live in the UK, Giles set up Tonkin Trading Limited in London in 1999. He added a tea blending division in 2004 and a physical rubber trading division in 2007.
In 2001 Giles set up Tonkin Products, a Partnership with Martin van Zwaneneberg. The aim was to develop unique hand made, high quality food items for export. In 2012 Giles took on the ownership of a Tea factory in North Vietnam, which is now producing black leaf CTC Tea.
Martin Van Zwanenberg
An experienced Food Technologist who worked in his early Career in the Fishing Industry before Joining Marks and Spencer where for over thirty years he held a number of Senior Positions in Food, Clothing and Homeware.
Andrew Van Zwanenberg
Andrew is Tonkin Products Chief Representative in Vietnam, based permanently in Ho Chi Minh City.
Prior to joining Tonkin Products Andrew worked for Marks and Spencer, having originally started with M&S in 1994 as a Graduate Trainee Technologist.
Andrew left M&S in 2004 to work as Managing Director / Technical Director of a privately owned Chinese Manufacturer of Decorative Glassware and Candles, based in Tianjin, China.
In 2009 Andrew was asked to re-join M&S as a Technical Manager responsible for Homeware, Procurement and the Hong Kong technical team, where he remained until joining Tonkin Products in 2011.
We have comprehensive teams of Food Technologists, NPD and Merchandising, both in the UK and Vietnam. Please ask to find out more
our team are here to help
Contact us
If you would like to find out more about us, or possibly work with us, then please get in touch using the link below. We would be delighted to consider new developments and opportunities.