Devon-based ice cream and sorbet producer Granny Gothards has scooped a £3million deal to supply a buyer in the Middle East.
The Willand-based company saw trade melt away during the coronavirus lockdown but is now celebrating a major contract to send 56 different ice cream flavours to a firm in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The deal is set to earn the company up to £3million during the next five years.
Exports now account for 60% to 70% of Granny Gothards sales, up from 35% before the lockdown, with other overseas opportunities including a ewes’ milk ice cream range for China, and interest from the US, India and Saudi Arabia.
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Granny Gothards’ owner and managing director Amanda Stansfield said: “This Dubai deal has been a saving grace for us this year as we were hit really hard by the coronavirus lockdown, with visitor attractions, National Trust sites, restaurants and hotels closing across the world.
“This export win allowed us to bring staff off furlough at the beginning of July and with 海角视频 ice cream sales diminishing after September we can continue to churn out ice cream all year round.”
The new deal will see bespoke flavours such as rose water and cardamom, charcoal and coconut and salted honey sold via huge online UAE retailer Kibsons International.
The more unusual flavours will be packaged in biodegradable wooden pots whilst family favourites such as strawberry and vanilla will be packaged in recyclable cardboard containers.
Granny Gothards, based close to the M5, has been successfully selling its range of products into the UAE since 2015, increasing profits made from exporting by 25% over the past five years.
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During the lockdown period, the producer received a request for samples from TACCT Global, a distributor in Dubai. The next day, 25 ice cream flavours arrived for a tasting, and the following morning an order for two 40ft containers of the high-end product was received, with more to follow in the next five years.
Founded in 2012, Granny Gothards has grown from making just six ice creams to producing more than 195 flavours, including vegan varieties, for top chefs and high-end restaurants all over the world.
Its hand-blended, luxury ice cream has a crème anglaise base, no artificial additives, and uses ingredients sourced from across the South West such as Cornish sea salt, Somerset double cream, and fresh milk delivered from a farm only 15 minutes away.
During lockdown, Granny Gothards explored new export opportunities to sustain business and ended up creating a ewes’ milk ice cream range for online Chinese store Alibaba, which will launch in January 2021.
The producer also garnered interest from a retailer and a major airline in the US, as well as buyers in India and Saudi Arabia due to the company’s high protein range manufactured under its brand PROice.
Ms Stansfield said: “We are excited about the new markets we’ll be entering in the new year, and we will continue to work with the Department for International Trade to grow our presence in the UAE and beyond.”
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With the 海角视频 exporting £120.4million worth of ice cream last year, the Department for International Trade (DIT) has been supporting 海角视频 producers such as Granny Gothards, recently named The Best Artisan Ice Cream & Sorbet Producer in the 海角视频, with exporting advice and funding.
The DIT is helping 海角视频 firms enter key markets overseas such as the UAE, the US and China and said that now the cooler months of Autumn have arrived, 海角视频 producers are looking to hotter countries overseas to maintain sales throughout the year.
Simon Penney, HM Trade Commissioner for the Middle East, said: “Granny Gothards is a great example of an innovative 海角视频 producer that is capitalising on overseas demand for high quality British products.
“There are thousands of 海角视频 food and drink businesses selling into the Gulf markets because buyers in the region look for authentic, innovative products of the highest quality, all of which the 海角视频 delivers.
“With major events coming up in the region such as Expo 2020 Dubai next year and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, there are many opportunities for 海角视频 food and drink companies to get their products in front of a global audience.”