Exporting event provides food for thought for East Midlands food and drink firms

East Midlands food and drink firms were given advice on how to exploit overseas opportunities at an event that turned the spotlight on exporting.

A range of producers from the region attended the session, which was run by UK Trade & Investment at Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire.

It featured presentations from Leicester snack company Farsan Ltd, which is already successfully exporting, from Food and Drink Forum food technical manager Richard Wigley, who is an expert in labelling requirements, and from logistics company Mardon plc.

“Export is currently top of the government’s growth agenda, and we aim to encourage firms to consider overseas opportunities as a way of expanding and becoming more profitable,” said Bob O’Meara, international trade adviser for UKTI.

“The event provided food for thought for companies that are considering exporting or have just started.”

Among the delegates at the event were a pork pie manufacturer, a gourmet food producer, a ready meals manufacturer and a rape seed oil producer.

It was aimed at small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, and featured workshops, a case study presentation and networking opportunities.

UKTI is the government department that works with UK-based companies to ensure their success in international markets, and encourages the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice.

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Anila's Authentic Sauces gains first distribution order to Switzerland

Anila’s Authentic Sauces will be warming up meals in snowy Switzerland after the firm received its first export order from the country.

Earlier this year the award-winning curry sauce and accompaniments producer won an export order to Germany after exhibiting at the world’s most important food and drink sector trade fair, Anuga.

Anila’s travelled with UK Trade & Investment to exhibit as part of the British Pavilion at Anuga in Cologne in October 2009.

Now the company run by Anila Vaghela has secured a second order as a result of contacts made at the trade fair and has started exporting to Switzerland for the first time.

A Swiss distributor has ordered more than 1,100 jars of curry sauces, chutneys and pickles from the firm, which is based in Walton-on-Thames with a unit in Hounslow, and is run by Anila and her husband Dan.

“This is great news for Anila’s Authentic Sauces,” said Anila Vaghela. “Exhibiting at Anuga marked the start of our push into exporting to Continental Europe, and I am delighted that this is now bearing fruit for us.”

The distributor has taken the whole of Anila’s range, which features eight premium curry sauces, handmade in small batches, and 16 chutneys, pickles and dips made with single fruits and vegetables.

Anila’s now exports to Germany, Ireland, Dubai and Switzerland, and hopes to continue expanding to other countries.

The news of the Switzerland order comes as Anila’s celebrates scooping a two ** Gold Great Taste Award for its popular Goan Green Curry Sauce.

The accolade marked the 11th Great Taste Award presented to Anila’s range of premium curry sauces, chutneys, pickles and dips by The Guild of Fine Food.

To win such a high rating, up to 20 judges unanimously agreed that the Goan Green Curry Sauce had achieved ‘absolute perfection’.

“The Goan Green Curry Sauce is one of our most popular sauces, and we are thoroughly delighted that the judges of the Great Taste Awards 2010 agree that it’s something very special,” said Anila, who founded Anila’s Authentic Sauces in 1997.

The Great Taste Awards are the national benchmark in speciality food and drink, and have been running since 1993.

Made with mint, coriander, spinach and coconut, Anila’s Goan Green Curry Sauce is sold in a range of speciality retailers, delis and farm shops.

Anila’s cooking has always been popular with friends and family, and in the early 1990s she began selling jars of curry sauce on a very small scale in her local community in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. She sold all 80 jars at her first fair at Weybridge in 1992. Phone calls from very satisfied customers followed, and Anila began fulfilling small orders.

In 1997 she was made redundant from a job as a PA and decided to seize the opportunity to form her own company to develop Anila’s Authentic Sauces.

She carried out extensive research, took expert business advice, and felt there was a gap in the market for high-quality, premium curry sauces. She soon gained a listing in the food hall of her local department store, and before long Anila’s curry sauces were on the shelves of a range of health stores, delicatessens and independent specialist shops.

Anila outgrew her kitchen at home and moved to a catering kitchen in Surbiton in 2002. A year later the business needed larger premises once more, and Anila’s re-located to a 1400 sq ft unit in Hounslow. In 2006, husband Dan also joined the team.

Anila’s products are now sold at John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater, and top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods, Wholefoods and Planet Organic, plus hundreds of other outlets that include health food stores, garden centres and gift shops, as well as smaller independent stores such as Budgens at Ascot, Shepperton and Crouch End. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at 28 farmers’ markets across Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, including Guildford, Walton, Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Cobham, Beaconsfield and Farnham, and online via http://www.anilassauces.com/

Anila’s starts exporting to Germany

Award-winning curry sauce and accompaniments producer Anila’s has gained its first export order to Germany.

Three of the firm’s chutneys have been snapped up by a quality retailer, with a further ten of Anila’s products due to become available to the German market shortly.

The contract comes after the firm exhibited for the first time at the world’s most important food and drink sector trade fair at Anuga in Germany in October, which marked a push by Anila’s onto the global stage.

“I am delighted that we have secured a first order for Anila’s in Germany,” said Anila Vaghela, who founded the family-run business in 1997. “We have been looking at exports for the past five years, and already have outlets in Ireland and Dubai, but we have been keen to move onto the Continent. This order in Germany represents what I hope will be the first of a number.”

The firm, which is based in Walton-on-Thames with a unit in Hounslow, also has interest in its products from France and Switzerland, added Anila.

“Exhibiting at Anuga was a great opportunity for us to showcase Anila’s curry sauces and accompaniments to the world,” she said. “I believe there is huge potential for export. We are very pleased to now be on sale in Germany, which is another step forward as we build our export portfolio.”

A pallet containing jars of Sweet Mango Chutney, Chilli Chutney and Tamarind and Date Chutney has now left the UK bound for a German online retailer – a Lakeland-style outlet which sells gourmet products and kitchen equipment.

The German distributor handling Anila’s products is also taking an order of seven of Anila’s curry sauces – Fruity Mild, Goan Green, Mild Korma, Spicy Korma, Spicy Mild, Spicy Medium and Hot Methi – as well as Anila’s Aubergine Pickle, Sweet Mango Pickle and Tindori Pickle.

Labels have been translated into German to cater for the export market.

Anila’s range features eight varieties of authentic curry sauces and 16 varieties of pickles, chutneys and dips. Anila’s sauces are based on traditional Indian recipes, and are gluten-free and dairy-free. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans, they are also free from onions and garlic, which suits people who are intolerant to alliums.

Anila’s sauces have won ten Great Taste Awards, and last year her Spicy Korma Curry Sauce scooped a Free From Food Award.

Anila’s distinctive and delicious range of mouth-watering ‘handmade’ chutneys, pickles and dips are made with single fruits and vegetables, and team up perfectly with a variety of dishes, snacks and cheeses.

Her products are sold at John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater, and top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods and Selfridges, plus hundreds of other outlets that include Wholefoods, Planet Organic, delis, health food stores, garden centres and gift shops. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at 28 farmers’ markets across Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, including Guildford, Walton, Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Cobham, Beaconsfield and Farnham, and online via www.anilassauces.com

Anila’s travelled with UK Trade & Investment to exhibit as part of the British Pavilion at Anuga in Cologne in October 2009.