Even more ways to buy British food abroad
From Scotch pie shells to home-brew kits for British pub beer, there is a plethora of products now being pitched at homesick expats.
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9:36AM BST 27 Aug 2013
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The market for niche food products aimed at homesick expats is expanding – perhaps having a similar effect on their waistlines.
Companies such as British Corner Shop do brisk business with Brits craving traditional products FROM HOME such as Marmite, PG Tips tea bags and digestive biscuits.
Now, there is a new breed of company supplying niche food and drinks to expats in far-flung corners of the world.
One example is the DIY Scotch Pie company which provides ready-made pie shells to homesick Scots and anyone with a taste for this famous Scottish staple. Founder Martin Burns originally aimed products at Scots living in other parts of the UK, but then began receiving enquiries from overseas.
He said: "From the feedback I've received via Facebook and email, it appears the customers fall into three categories – Scots, customers with Scottish heritage and customers purchasing gifts for the previous two categories.’’
Another company that has seen a gap in the market for homesick British expats is Red Hot Cuisine, which sends spice kits all over the world. Managing director Jas Rayatt said: ‘"We focus on selling easy authentic north Indian cooking recipes. The dishes are simple to cook with all the ground and whole ingredients included in our spice kits."
British-made beverages Chase Vodka and Williams Gin are experiencing "seismic growth," particularly in Asian markets, according to its manufacturers. William Chase, founder of the Chase Distillery, said prosperous economies of Asia have created people wealthy enough to begin seeking out the finer things in life.
He said: ‘’The Asian market – including mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore – are real consumer beasts. A big part of their consumer focus now is acquiring Western goods. A massive part of that is British goods. I wanted to take advantage of that.’’
Another business looking to export to expats is Moonshine Drinks which manufactures kits that allow people to replicate English pub beer by simply adding water.
James King, a British engineer living in Singapore, said: ‘"When I first moved to Asia I didn’t realise how much I would miss certain items like Jaffa Cakes and muffins. There’s just some things you can’t replace.’’
There are now more than five million Britons living overseas, giving enterprising companies the opportunity to tap into what is a growing market.
