New confectioner targets expats
not only looking forward to its first Christmas but also hoping to
rebuild the native confectionery industry through taping into a
unique market - expatriates.
The Sterling-based firm, which was started by Joyce Burnett in September, saw a demand from Scots around the world for traditional sweets that remind them of home.
There are 75 individual, hand made, sweets available, some of which are made by the company while others are sourced from other confectioners. The vast majority of them are of Scottish heritage. Selling 200 varying product packages the company hopes to have strong Christmas sales with most orders expected to come from overseas.
Scottish sweets such as soor plums, granny sookers and clove rock are amongst those, which can be personally packaged and dispatched around the world.
Ma Cameron's went about establishing its market by contacting various Scottish societies and expatriate communities to gauge the level of demand.
Encouraged by an overwhelmingly positive response, Burnett decided to drive forward the venture, which hopes not only to prove successful as a business model but also stoke the fires of the Scottish confectionery industry, which she says is in decline.
ConfectioneryNews.com spoke to Burnett on its brief to establish itself in an increasingly competitive market, sustain a dwindling industry and its vision to make sweets special again.
"We are very much aware Scottish manufacturing traditions are dying and we want to help. We'll always be looking for new manufacturers", said Burnett. "It's frustrating that children don't have the choices that we did when we were younger."
"With these products the intention is to bring back what is special about sweets. These are enhanced flavours, certainly premium products."
Although too early to predict sales figures for what will be a key debut seasonal period for Ma Cameron's, the company is already looking to establish itself for the future.
Burnett said the firm has made contact with corporate distributors and sees corporate clients as an area with a lot of potential. This is also the case in the personalised market, which could too prove fruitful for the niche confectioner.
The company also sees itself opening shops throughout Scotland in order to compliment its internet sales, which may be offered as franchises.
