Dan Jennings, co-owner of Davina Steel, said export sales have grown far quicker than the company expected.
“We’ve produced a new line of shortbread biscuits and gingerbread bites in larger packs specifically for export and with orders still flooding in, we’ve had to increase our staff to cope with the growing demand,” he said.
Widely available across the UK, Davina Steel only recently forayed into the export arena to make its products available to consumers around the world. The company produces a range of gluten free baking kits and mixes, crostini, biscotti, gingerbread bites and shortbread from its purpose-built factory in Halstead, Essex, the only dedicated gluten free and nut free commercial bakery in East Anglia.
Jennings said the company has received ‘substantial’ orders from the US, Canada, Australia, UAE, Guyana, Hong Kong and even the Cayman Islands.
“We’re seeing huge interest from all over the world, including Europe, which has, in effect, been ‘on hold’ for many exporters after the UK left the EU, but we expect that to be resolved in due course,” added Jennings.
Davina Steel’s export partner, Food Export International (FEI), said the gluten-free snacks are popular in export due to the company’s consistency in quality, along with its flexibility towards pack formats and bespoke ideas.
“This has enabled them to grasp opportunities otherwise not available and has been widely appreciated by our export customer base,” said a FEI spokesperson.