Beetroot from the Fens is to be put on sale at Woolworths – in South Africa.
Ely-based Love Beets, part of G’s, is to supply 600 South African stores that include retail giants Woolworths, Checkers and Pick n Pay.
The deal has been concluded with support from the Department for International Trade (DIT).
DIT advisers supported the company by providing insight as part of the Exporting is GREAT campaign, which aims to encourage SMEs to export their products overseas.
Mark Haynes, commercial and business development director, said: “The past few years have seen our business grow significantly overseas as the demand for fresh beetroot continues to rise.
“We’ve since expanded our range to include juices and powders and now export to 16 countries worldwide.
Love Beets, originally launched from its March production site, has production sites across three continents, and is working with a local South African farming partner and distributor to help further establish its products in the market.
The brand currently supplies its range of beetroot products, including flavour infused ready-to-eat beetroot, drinks, snack pots and powders, to retailers across 16 countries.
Mr Haynes added: “We recently went with the team on a trade mission to Chile and Argentina which opened our eyes to the emerging opportunities in Latin America, which is one of our next target markets. If we can make a name for our brand worldwide, so can other East of England businesses.”
Ely-based G’s Fresh, which owns the brand, launched Love Beets in 2010 in response to growing consumer demand for superfoods such as beetroot in the UK and the US.
Alan Pain, DIT East of England regional director, said: “Love Beets has had enormous success launching its products internationally and the new listings with Checkers, Pick n Pay and Woolworths could see the brand become a household name in South Africa.
“Food and drink exports generated more than £22 billion worth of income for the UK in 2017, highlighting the demand out there for British produce ready for businesses to capitalise on.
“For businesses that are new to exporting, it can be difficult to know how to navigate language barriers or forge new contacts. We have a team of 30 International Trade Advisers located across the East of England to support businesses that are looking to launch their products in new locations.”
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