Hola! thank you for being here!
If you’ve ever wondered how a deep love for food, culture, and heritage can shape a life — this is my story. I never set out with a clear roadmap, but what I did have was a passion for my roots and a drive to share the beauty of Mexican cuisine with the world.
From a childhood spent in markets to running businesses in Mexico, moving to the UK, and eventually taking on MexGrocer — every step has been part of a journey filled with challenges, growth, and purpose.
This isn’t just about business. It’s about identity, community, and the power of staying true to who you are. Whether you're a fellow entrepreneur, a foodie, or simply someone curious about how MexGrocer came to be, I hope my story gives you a glimpse into the heart behind it all.
The journey
Katya Torres de la Rocha is an award-winning business owner with a passion for Mexican food and drinks. Her love for her home cuisine has infused every part of her life and dynamic entrepreneurial career, leading her to take ownership of the authentic Mexican food and drinks distributor, Mexgrocer Limited in 2009.
Now the company imports around 6,000 tons of food and drink every year and supplies more than 500 restaurants and shops across the UK, including Costco, Getir, TKMaxx, Ocado, M&S and Wholefoods. Katya has masterminded the exponential growth of Mexgrocer since 2009, she has owned the business, from selling £300 per week at the start to turning over £10 million in 2024 between the 2 companies MexGrocer Limited and MexGrocer Europe.
Katya has made it her mission to share her passion for her Mexican heritage through MexGrocer. She aims to inspire families, foodies, restaurateurs and chefs across Europe. In doing so, she proudly celebrates the culture and cuisine of her native Mexico every day.
She has a very hands-on approach to the running of her business. She oversees all operational aspects of the company from dealing with suppliers around the world to pricing and customer engagement. Katya prides herself on the inclusion of gluten-free and Mexican Kosher products as part of her distribution.
Spicing things up regularly online, Katya is keen to promote exciting and innovative Mexican recipes and menu suggestions. This gives visitors the added bonus of being able to easily source ideas for delicious authentic dishes and Mexican-themed events. Katya wants to alter the image of Mexican cuisine as it is more about the infusion of flavours rather than heat and spiciness.
Mexgrocer employs more than 50 people across the board between UK and Netherlands totalling 50,000sqft. They have exclusive contracts with top Mexican food brands such as La Costena, Tajin, El Yucateco and Naturelo.
MexGrocer has been named among the Top 50 best food sites by The Times. This is testimony to the hard work and dedication that Katya has put into the company and its increasing popularity with consumers, the majority of whom are Mexican expats living in the UK. Katya and her business have also received numerous awards, including Personality of the Year by the Mexican Chamber of Commerce and the Lukas Awards in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Katya has had a knack for business from an early age, running a second-hand magazine shop as a child in a market. In 1998, Katya gained a business degree at Universidad La Salle in Mexico City and obtained a masters in finance at UNAM (The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) in 2002, all while running a human resources outsourcing business and a seafood restaurant as well. She went on to lecture at Universidad La Salle, teaching business, entrepreneurism and economics. While at UNAM, Katya taught finance.
Utilising her experience gained from a top job at CSG Financial Consultancy and running the elite Mexican restaurant, Barra Vieja, in Mexico City, in 2003 Katya moved to the UK and co-founded Mestizo a year later, an authentic Mexican restaurant with locations in both London and Madrid. She passed ownership of the restaurant in 2010, choosing to focus on the growth of Mexgrocer. Mestizo continues to serve authentic Mexican food and drink to this day.
Outside of work, Katya enjoys hiking up mountains and then skiing down them when winter rolls in. Cooking is an obvious hobby, and she also enjoys reading when she has the time. To find out more about Katya and Mexgrocer, visit her LinkedIn profile and the MexGrocer website.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
+44 (0) 1582 391511