Benoli Wholesale is a North East-based supplier of premium Italian wines and food products, serving over 300 venues across Tyne and Wear. The business — named after owner Steven Echanique’s sons, Ben and Oliver — has built a strong reputation for quality, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service, with the majority of new customers coming through referral alone.Their product range includes an extensive selection of Italian wines, many of which are exclusive to Benoli and imported under their own label.
Benoli is also closely linked to Mark Toney, a North East institution with over 130 years of history, through which they extend their hospitality offering and produce their own ice cream — a reflection of the business’s ambition to grow and diversify. Their industry standing was recently recognised as a finalist in the UK Italian Awards 2026, Best Italian Drink Industry Supplier.
The Challenge
As Benoli Wholesale continued to grow, the demands on their IT infrastructure grew with it. Operating across two linked businesses and supporting teams that needed to communicate seamlessly with customers, the existing internet connection was falling short. Slower speeds were impacting the performance of day-to-day systems, making tasks like updating data and uploading invoice documentation more time-consuming than they needed to be.
Steven also works from home regularly, and a slow or unreliable VPN connection to the office was adding friction to his remote working setup. With efficiency and customer service at the core of the business strategy, a more reliable, high-performance IT foundation was overdue.
The Solution
In January 2025, Benoli Wholesale partnered with Smart IT, taking on a full suite of services designed to support a growing SME:
- SmartCare Small Business — ongoing IT support with a responsive, friendly team
- Anti-Virus and Email Security — keeping the business protected
- Block Hours — flexible support as and when needed
- FTTP Internet — high-speed full-fibre broadband, exclusive to the Team Valley site
- Smart Connect — unified communications to support seamless customer-facing operations
The switch to FTTP internet was a particular game-changer. With a significantly faster connection replacing the previous provider, the whole business felt the benefit almost immediately.
The Results
The impact of the Smart IT partnership has been felt across the business:
- Day-to-day systems run noticeably faster — updating records and uploading invoice documentation is quicker and more efficient.
- Steven’s remote VPN connection to the office is now reliable and fast, making working from home far more productive.
- Improved phone systems through Smart Connect have allowed the teams across Benoli Wholesale and their sister company to work more cohesively, maintaining the seamless customer support they’re known for.
- Overall operational efficiency has improved, freeing up time to focus on growing the business and delivering the quality service that drives their referral-based reputation.
“We’re really happy with how much faster and better our internet has become since switching to FTTP with Smart IT. Their team is always friendly and ready to help whenever we have any questions or issues.”
— Steven Echanique, Owner, Benoli Wholesale
