Food and drink businesses - how did you get into your first shops?

I'm finding that phoning shops doesn't work very well as they're busy and often you don't have the person who does the buying on the line (or in the shop). Emails go to junk or are ignored. I've just started trying Instagram DMs, we'll see if that works.

Physically going to shops and handing out samples does work - that I do know as I've made sales doing that. But I don't have time to be doing that everyday (I'm still working full time) and even if I did, that strategy limits me to places fairly close to where I live.

Would love to hear your thoughts