Sous vide supplier makes a splash as sales surge
A LANCASHIRE supplier of specialist cooking equipment is set to double its turnover to £1.2m this year – just over two years after launching.
SousVideTools.com of Claughton, which was founded by a former refrigeration company executive, Alex Shannon, supplies gadgets such as sous vide and vacuum packing machines to fine dining restaurants including the Gordon Ramsay Estate, the award-winning L’Enclume in Cumbria and Manchester House, Manchester.
Mr Shannon said: “My line of work meant that I was introduced to an Italian company called Foodtek. They were looking for a UK distributor of their sous vide products and approached me with some samples.
“I was so impressed by the products that I decided to take the plunge and I resigned from my job to set up SousVideTools.com. It turned out to be the right decision. Since then we have formed exclusive distribution agreements with two largest suppliers of this equipment globally, Polyscience and SousVide Supreme, and are supplying to Michelin starred restaurants.”
The company has recently produced its own sous vide – a water-based cooking technique – cookbook, which has been taken on by an international distributor for release in the US.
SousVideTools.com has received business growth advice and financial support from Lancashire accountants and business advisers Moore and Smalley.
Richard Hall, corporate services director at Moore and Smalley said: “In the two and a half years since the company began it has grown from a modest local firm into a thriving worldwide distributor which supplies products to some of the food industry’s most respected outlets.”
“SousVideTools.com has a strong and loyal online customer base which has placed the company in excellent stead to extend its growth overseas. I’m confident it will continue to see impressive financial results and will thrive in international markets.”
As well as the Gordon Ramsay Estate, SousVideTools.com’s clients include Michelin starred restaurants such as Northcote Manor in Blackburn, and Gilpin Lodge in the Lake District.
