BUSINESS WEST – CONNECTING BUSINESSES inspire Bakery’s recipe for export success
Consumers in Japan are set to get a taste of the best of South West baking as heritage Cotswold bakery, Huffkins, fulfils its first significant export contract. Huffkins, established in 1890, shipped a 1.7
tonne order of fruitcakes, shortbread and branded merchandise to Japan, with more orders already secured into 2019. The business secured the export deal after receiving support from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to attend the FOODEX trade show in Tokyo last March, as part of a delegation showcasing British food and drink to the Japanese market. Following the trade show, Huffkins received
strong interest from a number of Japanese food and drink distributors, one of which it secured a partnership with in October of last year. The bakery’s products are now available in
two department stores in Tokyo, and as of this month will be for sale online through Huffkins’ Japanese distributor’s website. Over the next year the company
will be looking to further expand its exports into Scandinavia and other European markets, and has been working with international trade advisers from DIT to carry out market research and identify new business opportunities. This support comes as part of the Food
‘Our new deal with Japan is a real opportunity for the business’ growth’
is GREAT campaign, an ambitious programme run by Defra and DIT to showcase the UK’s food and drink abroad and encourage more businesses to consider exporting. Huffkins has three tea rooms in the South West,
as well as a further three sites in England. In October, the company opened a sixth tea room in the new John Lewis store in Cheltenham. Last year the company sent three of its staff from its tearoom in Burford and its bakery in Witney to Tokyo, to open a pop-up tearoom in luxury department store, Isetan, in the city’s Shinjuku district, where they sold more than 12,000 Huffkins scones in just six days. Natasha Whittaker, Huffkins’ head of wholesale and export, said: “Exporting has been a key element of Huffkins’ business strategy, and our new deal with Japan is a real opportunity for the business’ growth.
“The response we got from attending the FOODEX trade show was incredible. It was clear that Japanese customers were very attracted to the fact that we were a British company offering an authentic product.
“But although there was clearly strong
demand, there were still a few barriers we had to address. For example, Japan has strict quarantine regulations that determine what ingredients can be included in food and drink and require you to list each ingredient’s country of origin. “The support of DIT here in the
South West helped us get to Tokyo in the first place, but it has also provided us with access to UK Government support on the ground in Japan who could assist in co-ordinating with possible buyers and help overcome the language barrier. “Exporting isn’t always plain sailing, but with
the right knowledge and support, it can be very fruitful. If a Cotswold bakery like ours can do it, others can too.”
Paul Shand, DIT’s head of South West, said:
“There is currently huge demand for British food and drink overseas, with exports totalling £760m from the South West in the year to March 2018. “Although the demand is out there, we know that there are a number of challenges that firms have to address. To help businesses tackle these issues, DIT has a dedicated team of international trade advisers across the South West to support ambitious and innovative businesses looking to access new markets and increase exports. We also have a team of experienced sector specialists and an overseas network in 108 countries, who can offer
a range of guidance and support.”
Firms looking for support should contact 01275 370 944 or email
DITsw@mobile.trade.gov.uk. They can also visit
great.gov.uk, which has a wide range of live export opportunities currently listed and general information on exporting and events.
Export management advice for you
Business West has a new support service for businesses in the region: Export Management and Consultancy. This new service provides tailored export consultancy to help with any aspect of international trade that your business needs help with. We asked export consultant Colin Piper what the new Export Management and Consultancy Service is all about. In essence the service will help businesses overcome problems or pain points; gather information; plan and formulate strategies that allow them to improve and enhance their export activities. We can help with introductions and
relationships with agents/distributors overseas, planning an overseas visit or tradeshow, market entry strategies, planning a route into a specific market, and much more. We really can assist you in every aspect of international trade. Business West knows that no two businesses
are the same, and while this service offers three main areas of support, this can be easily crafted to your individual business needs. • International market entry strategy • Overseas partner management • International trade shows and market visit planning and management Our consultants each have over two decades
of international trade experience, spanning multiple sectors and geographies and have delivered hundreds of short and long-term projects. Clients they have worked with have achieved up to eight times the return on investment. Talk to us today to discuss how we can create a package that works for you.
Call: 01275 774438 Email:
international@businesswest.co.uk Visit:
www.businesswest.co.uk/ exportconsultancy
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 insight 17
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