Monday Interview: Nigel Arnett, sales director at Cartwright & Butler

As sales director of Yorkshire luxury tea time foods specialist Cartwright & Butler, Nigel Arnett said a refusal to compromise on quality was paying dividends for the business.

Arnett said the firm, headquartered at Gilberdyke in the East Riding of Yorkshire, was targeting a turnover of £9.3m for 2019.

The company’s extensive selection includes a range of elegantly packaged biscuits, teas, coffees, cakes, chocolates and types of honey as well as many other preserves and treats.

Arnett added: “Since 2012 our business has grown significantly – our staff count has gone from four people in 2012 to 35 now, though we could have up to 60 staff for busy periods at Christmas.

“This year we’ve put in a lot of investment and bought new packing facilities to give us a three-fold increase in capacity in time for Christmas.

“Within the marketplace our products have listings in Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nicholls and Liberty London.

“International business is very important for our company, and that has seen growth of over 50% this year. We’ve increased our export market into 43 countries worldwide – including to retailer David Jones of Sydney – so we’re now a global, well-recognised brand.

“What we make is something special and memorable – these are perceived as being luxury products.”

Arnett, who is in his 23rd year with the business, said its new strategy was to capitalise on the high quality of its produce by exploiting the corporate gifting market.

“What we want to do this year is work with all businesses to increase what they can offer to their clients and customers,” he said.

“It’s a big opportunity for us and we have major expectations in terms of what we can achieve in this particular sector.

“We can provide corporate gifts that have an element of personalisation, and that personal touch is something which creates a very positive response from clients.

“The research shows that corporate gifts create a lot of value, helping to generate new leads and building fresh relationships.

“For staff it can even be more rewarding than a small financial bonus. So a little bit of investment can go a long way.

“This personalisation of gifts means we need to continue to innovate and stay ahead of the trends. This is our focus for the next six to 12 months.”

Arnett added: “As a business the culture of the team we have is very important for the progression of our brand.

“Our staff includes people from various parts of Yorkshire as well as people from overseas who work with us to bring their own areas of specialty. It feels like a family.

“Our heritage goes back five generations, and the passion and energy our team has for the food we produce is shown in the quality of what we offer our consumers.”