Export order from prestigious French department store tastes good for food and drink producer

AN East Riding-based specialist foods and beverages provider has expanded its European presence after winning an export order with prestigious French department stores Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Marseille & Nice.

Cartwright & Butler, based in Gilberdyke will supply its speciality sweet and savoury biscuits, preserves and chutneys in a deal that builds on its existing export trade with Europe via similar contracts with upmarket department stores El Corte Ingles in Madrid, Spain and KaDaWe in Berlin, Germany.

Elsewhere on the continent, the firm sells its products in Denmark, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway.

And markets further afield served by Cartwright & Butler include North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Tony Arnett, managing director of Cartwright & Butler, said its overseas business emanated from an inward trade mission organised by UK Trade & Investment (now the Department for International Trade) four years ago which introduced the business to buyers from El Corte Ingles.

He said: “After meeting the representatives of El Corte Ingles on the inward trade mission organised by UKTI, we began selling overseas. In just four years with subsequent orders such as that for Galeries Lafayette, our export business has grown at a phenomenal pace.”

Cartwright & Butler was founded in 1981 with the rights to the business being acquired by the Arnett family in 2010. It became part of the family’s food distributor Moordale Foods, founded by John and Charles Arnett in 1977 and now employing 25 staff with sales in excess of £8m.
 
In the UK, Cartwright & Butler products are available in department stores Fenwick, Harrods and Selfridges, Waitrose, independent speciality food retailers and hotels, restaurants and duty free outlets.

Mark Robson, Department for International Trade (DIT) regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The value of Yorkshire and the Humber businesses meeting potential customers on trade missions both at home and overseas can never be underestimated and often translates into valuable orders such as that for Cartwright & Butler in Span and France.

 “We’re genuinely pleased to have played a part in helping Tony and his colleagues to launch what has become an outstandingly successful export business.”