Tangerine Confectionery, has announced plans to significantly increase its export business after securing a major contract to supply its Taveners and Sherbet Fountain brands to Australia. The Blackpool-based business, which is the UK’s leading independent sugar confectioner, has signed a distribution deal with Australian Bulk Foods to supply the iconic confectionery brands to leading Australian [...]
Tangerine Confectionery, has announced plans to significantly increase its export business after securing a major contract to supply its Taveners and Sherbet Fountain brands to Australia.
The Blackpool-based business, which is the UK’s leading independent sugar confectioner, has signed a distribution deal with Australian Bulk Foods to supply the iconic confectionery brands to leading Australian supermarkets. The value of the export contract has not been revealed but the firm calculates its Australian exports will reach 70,000 cases of stock including three million Sherbet Fountains annually.
Sherbet Fountains and Taveners Proper Sweets are now being sold across Australia in national retail chains Coles, Target and Big W department stores, Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) Independents, plus impulse channels.
Steven Joseph, executive chairman of the £160m turnover business, believes that there is a major opportunity to grow the companyys current level of exports further.
He said: The export potential of brands like the Sherbet Fountain and Taveners is huge, especially in what you might call former colonial markets such as Australia, South Africa, Canada and Hong Kong.
The pound’s weakness against other currencies presents an export opportunity and we plan to double our exports in the next three to five years..
He added: Britain is a world-leader in sugar confectionery and we believe the quality of our brands combined with our British heritage will enable us to achieve significant overseas sales. The Sherbet Fountain contract is just a start.’
The export success follows the high-profile re-launch of the Sherbet Fountain last year with the product now made with all natural colours and flavours and a new re-sealable plastic tube. As a result of the relaunch sales volumes have increased by 20% in the UK.
Geoff Sharp of Australian Bulk Foods said: Like the UK, we are seeing a revival of iconic English confectionery in Australia. The Sherbet Fountain is one of the most memorable and long established confectionery brands and is ideally placed to capitalise on the wave of nostalgia..
He added: Many British ex-pats are helping drive sales as they remember the Sherbet Fountain as a childhood favourite. They are introducing their children and grandchildren to the brand and they in turn are becoming new fans of the product..
Australian Bulk Foods also distributes other Tangerine brands including Tavener’s Proper Sweets, liquorice allsorts, wine gums, jelly babies, dolly mix and fruit jellies products.