Gulf deal tastes good for Seabrook Crisps

SEABROOK CRISPS has announced its first international deal as part of a major export drive which will see its product stocked in stores across Dubai.

The Yorkshire brand, which is currently worth £32.3m, has agreed a deal with a supermarket chain in the Gulf, LuLu Hypermarket, to provide a range of its premium Lattice crisps.

The brand will initially be introduced into hypermarkets across Dubai as part of the chain’s ‘Best of British’ event.

LuLu Hypermarket has stores based across the Gulf region. In addition to the United Arab Emirates, the stores can be found in Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India.

As part of the company’s bid to enter overseas markets, Seabrook has re-appointed its marketing director Kevin Butterworth as marketing and international sales director. To support the brand’s continued UK sales growth, food and drink marketing specialist, Neil Gibson has also joined the fold as marketing manager.

The deal with LuLu was brokered by Mr Butterworth following the brand’s presence at the world’s biggest food and hospitality trade fair held recently in Dubai, Gulfood. Seabrook, represented by Mr Butterworth, attended the event as part of a UKTI Northern Powerhouse trade envoy.

Seabrook’s break into the export market is a key move in ambitious plans developed for the brand by the company’s board, which was appointed in July 2015 as part of a management buyout backed by leading mid-market private equity house, LDC.

Mr Butterworth said: “As the brand’s first export agreement, this is a promising venture as we recognise the huge potential there is to expand trade in Dubai and the rest of the Gulf. As well as this region, we have identified a number of other international markets that provide opportunities to enter and I will be actively targeting each as part of my new role in the business.

Mr Butterworth, who is also a board member, added: “Taking on my new position within the business is a fantastic opportunity for me to develop my role at Seabrook and help the company move further forward during a very exciting stage of its growth.”

The appointment of Mr Gibson will drive the company’s strategy to build on market share within the UK and manage NPD and innovation projects planned for 2016 and beyond. He joins Seabrook following experience managing major UK brands including Fox’s Biscuits and Vimto.
 
Mr Gibson said: “I’m joining an iconic and well-loved brand that is in the middle of exciting change and growth and will be using my experience across all food and drink channels to build distribution and ensure Seabrook Crisps remains a credible challenger brand.”

Seabrook Crisps chief executive Jonathan Bye added: “These two new appointments are part of a wider strategy to drive the business forward and Neil is a valued addition to the team. We are delighted that Kevin’s efforts in his new role has enabled the brand to break into export trade at such an early stage in the process to target international markets.”