Speciality food exporter of the year targets new markets

One of Scotland's oldest producers of smoked salmon, Portsoy-based Gourmet's Choice, is well on track to realising its ambitious objective of raising export sales from 2% to 40% of turnover in a remarkable period of only three years.

Terry Curran of Portsoy-based Gourmet's Choice wins the "Speciality Food Exporter of the Year" award The company's achievement was recognised in December 2005, when Gourmet's Choice was named "UK speciality food exporter of the year" by Food from Britain at its annual export awards in London's Savoy Hotel.

"In 2003, we could see that the domestic UK smoked salmon market was becoming saturated with high-volume, low-cost products," notes Gourmet's Choice sales director Terry Curran, pictured (centre) receiving the award.

"So we took a strategic decision to target premium overseas markets and set a five-year plan to grow our export business to 70% of turnover by 2010. I'm pleased to report we are well on course, and may well reach the 40% milestone during 2006, which is well on schedule."

The family-run Banffshire business recognised that ambitious export growth targets of this magnitude called for additional strategic resources, and Terry has drawn on the wide-ranging export support services offered by Business Gateway International, Scottish Enterprise Grampian, Scottish Development International, Food from Britain and other agencies.

"Once we started looking, we were amazed at the range of support services available to us," observes Terry. "As well as valuable strategic advice and financial support, we have benefited from media training, marketing training, technical and waste management support."

"These experienced agencies have really been invaluable both in helping us to work out where we wanted to take our business, and how we could get there."

Overseas success

Gourmet's Choice has already broken into nine different overseas markets, ranging from the upmarket Spanish El Corte Ingles supermarket chain to Gordon Ramsay's latest Tokyo restaurant.

Italy has proved the most successful export market to date, with the company also pulling off a spectacular international PR coup with a 2005 contract to supply 44 tonnes of sashimi-style mumbai and piccante-flavoured salmon for the Japanese sushi market.

The company has now targeted the Middle East market, having just won its first order for the UAE. "We went to the Gulf Food Show recently with SDI and it was potentially the best show we have ever attended," reports Terry.

"Scottish smoked salmon is recognised in the Middle East as a premium product, and we are now planning a year of active product development to try to develop exotic spiced hot-smoked salmon to suit the Arab palate."

"Once we crack that, the Middle East market could be really huge."

Based right on the picturesque ancient harbour in Portsoy, Gourmet's Choice is a classic Scottish export success story. Although the company's success is underpinned by a century-old smoking recipe closely guarded by the Sutherland family and its master smokers, Gourmet's Choice is using 21st century technology to take its traditional products into prime new overseas markets.

A promotional DVD is in the pipeline, promoting the underlying Scottish authenticity of the Moray Firth coast, and a tidy new website has taken the company into the brave new world of e-commerce.

"When we won our export award in the Savoy back in December, it was an incredibly proud moment for all of us," recalls Terry Curran. "That's when you realise that all the hard slog, all the setting of targets, have really been worthwhile."

Visit the Gourmet's Choice website at http://www.gourmetschoice.net/