Built on direct relationships with producers, rigorous quality control, and a reputation earned within professional kitchens across the region, The H Formula has carved out a distinct position in the regional supply space. We spoke to Yassine Azzouni, also known as Tomato Man, about consistency, trust, and where the supply chain still has ground to cover.
How did you get your start in the food industry?
Honestly, I didn’t start in food. The company was originally founded with a different mission: building a business that could be commercially successful while creating a positive impact on families and children. That’s why we called it The H Formula — Healthy Habits Make Happy Heroes.
Like many entrepreneurs, I wish I could tell you there was a perfect plan. There wasn’t. At one point, we genuinely thought we might lose the company. Then I discovered this tomato. The moment I tasted it, something clicked. I knew it was special, and because I knew the restaurant scene well, I immediately understood where it belonged.
I wasn’t looking for a tomato business. I was looking for a solution. What started as an attempt to save the company became the opportunity that transformed it. The mission stayed the same. The path changed.
How did you build trust with chefs when you were just starting out?
By showing up every day. At the beginning, I was everything: founder, salesman, delivery driver, customer service, and sometimes even the cleaner.
I think chefs respected that because they live the same reality. Hospitality is built on discipline, sacrifice, and consistency. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I was simply committed. Trust wasn’t built through marketing. It was built one delivery, one conversation, and one promise kept at a time.
How did the Tomato Man nickname come about? How has having a personal brand changed the way you do business?
The chefs gave it to me. I became obsessed with this product. I was constantly talking about tomatoes, tasting tomatoes, delivering tomatoes, and asking chefs for feedback.
Eventually, people stopped calling me Yassine and started calling me The Tomato Man. Today, it’s not really about tomatoes. The Tomato Man became a symbol of passion, authenticity, and accountability.
People don’t connect with companies. They connect with people. That’s probably been one of our biggest advantages.
Walk us through how the business works, from sourcing to delivery, and what makes it different from the rest.
Most suppliers focus on products. We focus on people. We work directly with growers, manage logistics, quality control, importation, and daily deliveries to restaurants and hotels.
But the real difference is that we don’t see ourselves as suppliers. We see ourselves as problem solvers. The closer we got to chefs, the more we understood their challenges. Our role is to help solve them, whether that’s consistency, sourcing, availability, or finding unique products. The product starts the relationship. The trust sustains it.
How do you maintain quality consistency on the supply side?
Consistency starts at the source. We work closely with growers, define clear specifications, communicate continuously, and inspect products before they leave the origin and again when they arrive.
But beyond systems, it comes down to relationships. We partner with producers who share the same belief: quality is not negotiable. At the end of the day, chefs trust us with their reputation, and we take that responsibility seriously.
What do professional kitchens in this region expect from their suppliers?
Trust and reliability. Quality matters, but consistency matters even more. A chef can build an entire menu around a product. If that product changes, arrives late, or disappears, the whole operation is affected.
The best suppliers aren’t always the biggest. They’re the ones who communicate honestly, solve problems quickly, and show up when they’re needed. Professional kitchens don’t just need suppliers. They need partners.
Where do you still see gaps in how premium ingredients are sourced and delivered here?
The biggest gap is that we often focus on serving the hospitality industry and forget about the people behind it — the chefs. The more time we spent in kitchens, the more we understood the pressure, creativity, and sacrifice behind every great dining experience. Most guests see the final dish. We see the journey behind it.
One of the most valuable lessons came from launching our online store during a challenging period. What started as a necessity opened our eyes to new opportunities and gaps in the market.
Today, we’re exploring ways to support chefs beyond sourcing ingredients — helping them create opportunities, build personal brands, connect with consumers, and unlock new revenue streams. Because when chefs thrive, restaurants thrive. And when restaurants thrive, communities thrive.
