KIEV: A former vineyard in Devon has secured its first export contract and now plans on selling its jams, preserves and chutneys to Ukraine. Highfield Preserves in Cullompton was founded in 1984 and initially operated as a vineyard. The company eventually began to focus on selling homemade jams to its customers and now produces more than 6,000 products a day, doubling its headcount in 2017. The contract in Ukraine was secured through the Exporting is GREAT website, supported by advice from the Department for International Trade (DIT). Having secured their first export contract, the company is now looking to export to EU countries closer to home.
Daniel Whitby, manager at Highfield Preserves, said: “While our business has seen consistent growth, new brands of home-made jams are launched frequently in the UK to competition remains fierce so we decided to look to international markets for the first time for our growth plans.
“Exporting has been an exciting and eye-opening process for us. Faced with new challenges such as increased paperwork and admin, our trade advisors at DIT helped us navigate the whole process. After the success of our first order, we’re now looking to target Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden as we’ve identified a growing demand for preserves there. If we can do it, so can many other local firms.” Paul Shand, South West regional director, Department for International Trade, said: “While Ukraine is going through a time of political change, the country offers many benefits for UK businesses looking to grow overseas. Ukraine has a large consumer market that has quickly grown an appetite for British-made goods. Despite this, exporting to Ukraine isn’t without its difficulties given the current political context a nd strict trade and regulatory environment.
