If you’ve ever sat down at a fine-dining table to find a bottle of S.Pellegrino or Acqua Panna waiting to refresh your palate, chances are the hands behind its journey belong to Clearworld Suppliers. When chefs go searching for premium Italian essentials, think Caputo flour, Colavita pasta or silky carnaroli rice, it’s Clearworld they call. As South Africa’s specialist importers of Italian food and beverage excellence, they’ve become one of the hospitality industry’s most indispensable behind-the-scenes partners.
The story begins with founder and CEO Philip Abrahamson, whose lifelong love affair with Italy shaped Clearworld’s origins. “From a young age, I’ve been very connected to Italy through friends and family,” he shares. “I’ve always felt at home in the Italian way of gathering around a table, where cooking is the heart of every occasion. There’s a deep, inseparable link between family, food and wine.”
Clearworld’s first breakthrough came shortly after its 2012 launch, when the company secured its role as a retail distribution partner for S.Pellegrino in South Africa. “Other suppliers were already serving the restaurant industry, but no one wanted to deal with the challenge of getting those 500ml plastic bottles into retail,” Abrahamson recalls with a laugh. “I was the only idiot who took it on! But with hard work and persistence, we made it happen.”
When sourcing new products for Clearworld clients, or for their Italian Deli Online, Abrahamson prefers to skip trade shows entirely. Instead, he explores Italy city by city, discovering gems in boutique stores, hotel dining rooms, neighbourhood restaurants and small supermarkets. “It’s about being niche,” he says. “Being incredibly selective about the products you choose.”
Clearworld’s journey from importing the best Italy has to offer to empowering South Africa’s culinary community took a major leap in 2021. Becoming the sole distributor of S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna to the hospitality sector meant stepping into a central role in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition, one of the most globally recognised platforms for emerging chefs.
“There is so much young talent in this country,” says Abrahamson. “Playing a part in introducing them to the international gastronomic world, an opportunity many would never have otherwise, is hugely exciting.”
The biannual competition welcomes chefs under 30 with at least a year of professional kitchen experience. Regional finalists earn the chance to compete in the Grand Finale in Milan, where they meet industry icons like Massimo Bottura and connect with mentors and peers from around the globe. “S.Pellegrino isn’t just a water,” Abrahamson adds. “It’s a doorway into a global community.”
Supporting the future of hospitality has since become integral to Clearworld’s purpose. Each year, the company funds scholarships through the Sommeliers Academy, giving young people working in restaurants a pathway to uplift their careers. Scullers who dream of stepping behind the bar, servers who aspire to become sommeliers, Clearworld helps them take those next steps with confidence.
From Italy to South Africa, and from South Africa to the world, Clearworld remains guided by one belief: that good food sits at the heart of genuine connection and community.
www.clearworld.co.za
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