About Us

Our History, Our Story

In 1939, Ernst Moser began selling swiss cheese and deli meats door-to-door. His wicker basket and cutting tools became his trademark as he served the “mom and pop” shops throughout the city of Philadelphia. From Ernst’s basement to a small building off of Girard Avenue to our present location (for the past 50 years), International Food Distributors has always retained its local origins. Ernst was not interested in creating a large warehouse business. His philosophy, that still stands today, was to have enough merchandise to always be able to offer the freshest product.

Ernst’s son Herbert eventually joined the family business and lead International to be one of the first importers to bring a new and upscale cheese into the United States – Brie! International was also an exclusive distributor of a product known as “International Snapper Soup” – from which the company developed its name. And so, International Food Distributors, Inc. was born.

For over 50 years, Herbert expanded International’s product lines focusing on fine cheeses. In 1999, Herbert’s daughter Diane along with her husband, Scott Selkowitz, took over the family business. In the past decade, Scott and his staff have continued to make “International” one of the area’s premiere importer and distributer of specialty cheese and specialty grocery items.