Mash Direct to target US in international roll-out strategy

Mash Direct, the Northern Ireland-based prepared vegetable supplier, is to target the US as part of its plans to expand its international operation.

Jack Hamilton, new markets and marketing director, told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Mash Direct plans to move more strategically into the US export market, looking particular at Chicago and Maine, which have similar food retail landscapes to the UK, and where there is growing interest in [genetically-modified organism] GMO-free vegetables.”

Its international business currently accounts for 16% of sales with markets including UAE, Dubai and Bahrain and Republic of Ireland.

Tesco, Iceland, Costcutter

Currently, the supplier is stocked in the grocery sector across the UK including Asda, Co-operative, Sainsbury, Spar, Tesco, Iceland, Costcutter, Nisa, Waitrose, Ocado, Booths and Budgens.

Mash Direct already has strong sales in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England but will also be focusing on driving up sales in the south of England.

The vegetable supplier recently won a listing for eight of its lines in Fortnum & Mason.

2015 record breaking

Hamilton said: “2015 was a record breaking year for us, but 2016 has started brightly and the brand is going from strength to strength, both in the UK and abroad.

“Our new listings greatly increase our domestic reach, getting our products into the hands of new customers and expanding our customer base nationwide.

Through Fortnum and Mason we are hoping to take our brand further abroad and expand our global reach, with the international side of the business already accounting for 16% of total sales. 

Increasing customer interest in the provenance of products puts the manufacturer in a strong position to trade on the firm’s heritage and quality, claimed Hamilton.

“We are aiming to continue driving the success of the last 18 months forward throughout 2016 and beyond,” he added.

 

Mash Direct financials – at a glance

  • Boosted turnover by an additional £1M in the second half of last year
  • Reported year-on-year sales growth of £2M since 2013
  • Achieved turnover of more than £15M, compared with £14.1M previous year