Demand for ‘free from’ food boosts muffin sales

American Muffin Co is confident of doubling its sales in the next two years, fuelled by growing demand for its ‘free from’ products.

The London-based baker secured its first listings with Tesco and Sainsbury in January 2008. It has since picked up sales with Waitrose and Asda, thanks to demand for its gluten-free muffins, which are made using corn, potato starch and rice flour instead of wheat flour, said director Zoeb Bhujwalla.
Bhujwalla, who attended Food Manufacture​’s business leaders’ round table debate in London last week, said the firm had built a reputation for developing products for people on special diets, including egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free muffins: “We’re producing gluten-free three days a week now as it has been growing so fast, but we’re also exploring opportunities in reduced fat products and reduced sugar products made with maltitol.”
It also produces a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies and flapjacks.
He added: “We are a relatively small company, so of course the growth is off a low base, but we are growing at about 50% year-on-year.”

The firm’s factory, which is based at the Park Royal industrial estate in London, has the capacity to produce at least four times its current output, added Bhujwalla. “We are only operating on one shift - Monday to Friday - at the moment, so there is a lot of scope for increasing our output.”
About 90% of the business’s output is branded, while the rest is customer-branded, he said.