How CrossLink Asia Built Market Traction in Vietnam for Australia's Leading Game Meat Producer in 10 Days

From market mapping through to factory visits and partner validation, this sprint demonstrates how fast commercial traction can be built in Vietnam with the right local execution.

Vietnam continues to emerge as one of Southeast Asia’s most attractive growth markets for premium imported food products.

Recently, CrossLink Asia supported an Australian game meat producer with an accelerated market entry sprint across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

The objective was straightforward: Validate commercial potential, identify capable local partners, assess channel readiness, and create a clear path toward first commercial agreements.

The work included on-the-ground meetings and facility visits across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, including engagements with companies such as San Ha Foods and Meatworks. Activities focused on distributor validation, food manufacturing capability assessment, HoReCa channel readiness, and identifying commercially viable routes to market for imported Australian game meat products.

Over a 10-day period, CrossLink Asia:

• Identified 60 relevant companies

• Initiated 20 commercial conversations

• Shortlisted 8 qualified partners

• Conducted 5 in-person meetings and facility visits

Beyond desk research, the work focused heavily on on-the-ground execution including factory visits, retail and HoReCa assessments, distributor validation, and local processing capability reviews.

One of the strongest observations from the market was the willingness of Vietnamese processors and distributors to adapt imported proteins into locally relevant formats for both consumers and foodservice channels.

Vietnam’s combination of rising affluence, strong manufacturing capability, and increasingly sophisticated food distribution infrastructure continues to create compelling opportunities for international food brands looking to expand into Southeast Asia.

Click on link below for the detailed case study:

crosslink_gmp_case_study.pdf

Download PDF • 781KB

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About the Author

Hayo Jongejans

Founder CrossLink Asia

Hayo Jongejans is the Founder of CrossLink Asia, a market expansion and commercial execution company supporting international brands entering and scaling across Southeast Asia.

With over 15 years of experience across operational transformation, commercial strategy, and in-market execution, Hayo has worked with executive teams ranging from multinational manufacturers through to high-growth consumer and technology businesses.

His background spans large-scale transformation programs, operational performance improvement, distribution strategy, and market activation, combining board-level strategic thinking with hands-on execution on the ground.

Today, his work is focused on helping international companies navigate Southeast Asia’s fragmented markets through local partner activation, distributor development, channel strategy, and commercial growth execution across sectors including food & beverage, FMCG, and consumer brands.

Hayo operates across Southeast Asia, Australia, and Europe.