Est. 1998 · London, UK
About Pilco
Pilco is the trading name of Pagarani International Ltd, a family-run UK importer and wholesale supplier of nuts, dried vine fruits, seeds, snacks and spices. We have served manufacturers, packers and the wider food trade since 1998.
Our story
From one trader's word to a name the trade relies on.
When Mohan Pagarani founded the business in 1998, he made a quiet promise: treat every grade, every shipment and every customer as a matter of personal reputation. That promise built Pilco, one relationship and one honest consignment at a time.
More than 28 years on, we remain deliberately business-to-business. We do not sell to the public and we do not run a shop. What we offer instead is consistency: the same grade, the same specification and the same service, order after order.
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The family behind Pilco
Two generations, one standard
What began as one man's trading instinct is today run by father and son, side by side.
Founder
Mohan Pagarani
Mohan founded Pagarani International Ltd in 1998 on a simple conviction: that British food manufacturers deserved a supplier who treated grade and reliability as personal reputation. He built it by hand, travelling to origin, walking factory floors and learning each commodity for himself.
The trust he earned with growers and customers is still the foundation everything at Pilco stands on, and his insistence on honest grading remains the rule we trade by.
Director
Mahesh Pagarani
Mahesh, Mohan's son, grew up around the trade and now leads the business alongside his father. He has carried those standards into a new era, broadening the range, tightening quality processes and modernising how Pilco sources, ships and serves.
Where Mohan brings decades of hard-won judgement, Mahesh brings the systems and pace the modern food industry demands. Together: a steady hand and a forward-looking partner.
Family-run, and accountable
Family-run since 1998
When a business carries the family name, reputation is not abstract. It ships in every pallet. The standards Mohan set in 1998 still govern how we grade, pack and deliver today.
- Honest grading - what you order is what arrives, lot after lot.
- Relationships at origin - direct, long-standing, audited in person.
- A real person to call - family-run means accountable, every time.
How we supply
Built around how the trade actually buys
From a quarter pallet to a direct container, we supply the way your production needs it.
Pallet loads, your way
Quarter, half or mixed pallet loads, plus full pallet loads of individual lines, so packers and manufacturers order the quantity that suits them.
Direct container shipments
For higher volumes, we arrange direct container shipments from origin, managing sourcing, documentation and logistics end to end.
Forward booking
Secure price and supply on selected lines ahead of need, so your production stays protected when markets tighten.
Specs & health certificates
Product specifications and health certificates supplied for every line, supporting your own food-safety and due-diligence requirements.
Year-round availability
As importers we hold most of our range in stock all year round. Ask us for a quote and we will come back with options.
Factory visits & audits
We visit and audit the packers and processors we work with, so the grade you are quoted is the grade that ships.
Sourcing & quality
Sourcing and quality control
Great products start at origin. We work with established growers and processors across Asia, Europe and the Americas, choosing each origin for the quality of its harvest and the reliability of its supply.
Quality is a process, not a slogan: grades agreed up front, samples where needed, and every consignment checked for size, colour, moisture and freedom from foreign matter. What you order is what arrives.
We are proud members of
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
When was Pilco established?
Pilco - the trading name of Pagarani International Ltd - was founded by Mohan Pagarani in 1998. It is now run by Mohan and his son Mahesh.
Is Pilco a family business?
Yes. Pilco has been family-run since 1998 and is today managed by father and son, Mohan and Mahesh Pagarani.
What does Pilco do?
We import and wholesale nuts, dried vine fruits, seeds, snacks and spices, supplying manufacturers, packers, distributors and the catering trade across the UK.
Which industry bodies is Pilco a member of?
Pilco is a member of the INC (International Nut and Dried Fruit Council) and the Nut Association.
Does Pilco visit its suppliers?
Yes. We visit and audit the packers and processors we work with, so the grade we quote is the grade that ships.
Enquiries
Tell us what you need, and we will source it.
Share your product, grade, volume and timing. One of our experienced team will respond promptly with availability and a quotation.