BIG INTERVIEW
time amid pressures such as attending global trade shows. I am fortunate in having a great team, with much of the management, sales and customer service for the US business done in our Kirkcaldy office. Using technologies such as VoIP phone systems, video conferencing, and cloud-based ERP systems makes remote work and management easier. Initially, and still, Brexit has been causing
pain to our UK business, with trade with European customers dropping significantly. Currently it’s Trump’s tariffs that are affecting our USA business, with many of the products we distribute in the USA imported, including Sephra Chocolates, and much of the equipment manufactured in the Far East. With ever-changing tariffs, we are forced to react with price changes as our landed costs fluctuate massively.
Amazon to consumers keen on baking and chocolate work. Having seen exceptional growth over the
past two years, with 77% growth in the UK and 79% in the USA, Sephra now has 38 employees between the UK and the USA.
Sephra has evolved remarkably from its early days to now supplying everything from couverture chocolate to popcorn for major retailers. What’s been the biggest turning point in that journey? DA: The exclusive distribution deal I struck with Sephra in the USA in 2007 brought about the incorporation of Sephra in Europe Ltd. Similarly, acquiring the Sephra brand in
2019 enabled me to further put my own stamp on the business. Last year, we announced a partnership with
Ferrero, exclusively bringing innovative heated Nutella dispensers to the UK and Irish markets. Landing our first popcorn deal with Asda
in 2015 was pivotal, as it was the launch pad for this now well-established popcorn tub retail business. This was hugely important during the tough times when food service was badly affected during the COVID-19 crisis.
You’re both a businessman and a semi- professional musician — how do those two worlds complement each other? Does your creative side influence how you approach innovation and business strategy at Sephra?
DA: My happy place is working with my marketing team, where I can collaborate and allow my creativity to make a practical difference. Being a musician is very much my stress buster too, an escape from the high-pressure business world. Picking up a guitar in the house is a great way to relax.
With bases in both Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and Pennsylvania in the US, Sephra is truly international. What have been some of the challenges and advantages of growing a company across two continents? DA: I try to visit the Throop office as much as possible, but it can be difficult to find
16 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025/26 I GET A GREAT SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT SEEING A NEW BUSINESS SET UP AND FULLY UTILISE OUR
EQUIPMENT CONCEPTS AND INGREDIENTS TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL, PROFITABLE BUSINESS
The global rise in cocoa prices has been tough on the entire industry. Tell us about Sephra’s new “50/50” chocolate blend — how did the idea come about, and how do you see it helping your customers weather this storm? DA: Our “50/50” Compound/Couverture Chocolate blend, a budget-friendly option that helps businesses manage costs without a significant drop in quality, was originally developed by us for a leading UK customer to address the current rise in global chocolate prices. They were delighted, finding that it delivered the high-quality taste and texture of Sephra’s Belgian Couverture Chocolate, but was more cost-effective for large-scale applications. Taking the initiative to widen this out as
a new product in our portfolio that other customers could take advantage of, we think it’s really helping customers weather these challenging times. Having proved very popular, the blend is launching in the USA.
Sephra USA has made headlines for disrupting the Callebaut market with its Fall price promotion. What was behind that bold decision, and what has the response been like from your US customers? DA: We have seen significant growth through our Callebaut partnership in the UK. As such, we decided to bring that strength to the US, offering affordable Callebaut chocolate prices and efficient service to customers. Wanting to reduce US customers costs,
we made the bold decision to reduce margins and drive sales growth. As a result of the Fall Sale, where we offered up to 25% off regular pricing on 14 Callebaut products, we experienced an eight-to-nine times increase in sales for Callebaut in the States. As the sale has struck a very positive
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