Department for International Trade (DIT) has chosen Rahul Kale, international sales director at Vibrant Foods, to represent the company as an Export Champion in 2022.
Vibrant Foods is the parent company of TRS, East End Foods, Cofresh, Everest and Fudco, all highly successful South Asian food brands that have been leaders in the sector for decades.
Export Champions are hand-picked by the DIT as a recognition of their expertise in importing and exporting across international markets. The group is made up of over 400 ‘Champions’ across England, representing a range of sectors.
Vibrant Foods has grown its international business by 17 per cent despite severe challenges to supply chains, from Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and now the Ukraine-Russia conflict, beating the 15 per cent forecast made when Vibrant was initially founded, way before the challenges of the last two years began to affect the export sector.
In his role as a DIT Export Champion, Kale will use his expertise within international markets to provide advice, peer-to-peer support and inspiration to export businesses. His role in the international expansion will also be harnessed by DIT ministers in Government policy discussions so that businesses are supported outside of the UK.
“We are proud to be representing South Asian food and heritage in the UK and internationally,” Kale said. “Working with so many world-renowned retailers highlights not only the rise in demand in South Asian cuisine but also the success of everyone at Vibrant. Supplying the best quality products across all our markets. On a personal level, it is an honour to be working closely with DIT and other fellow champions to support the sector.”
Andrew Mitchell, Director General at the Department for International Trade, added: “We are thrilled to have Rahul Kale joining our Export Champions on behalf of Vibrant Foods for 2022-23. After the turbulence of the last two years, it is vital that we promote British food, drinks and agriculture. It is a sector that contributes £120 billion to the UK economy annually and supports 4.3 million jobs right across the country. Vibrant Foods will play an integral role in an important year post COVID-19 pandemic, being both a benchmark and an inspiration for other British export businesses.”
The news comes after a stellar year for Vibrant, which included new market growth in Spain, Finland and Portugal. The team has targeted the multi-cultural communities of six European countries, including Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Norway. This led to a recent Ramadan campaign that saw an overall reach of over 4.5 million, underscoring the level of growth that has been seen this year.
The business now has new offices set up in Germany and Italy as it looks to continue its expansion. Now, not only are Vibrant Foods building strong trading relations with Indian suppliers but also exporting to Europe’s leading retailers.
Vibrant’s international markets will see targeted campaigns to new communities and new consumers – focussing on the Middle East, Turkey and Asia. As the brand grows abroad new plans will see increased distributor listings and new wholesales in markets with distribution gaps.
Rohit Samani, Chairman of Vibrant, said: “We are excited with the trajectory we are seeing in our international journey and the stature of Vibrant within the market. Being an Export Champion is a testament to the journey we have been on so far and we are looking forward to sharing our experiences and learning from fellow champions and the DIT. The last two years have undoubtedly been a difficult environment to operate in. We are committed to sharing our own learnings with our business community, supporting the collective goal of harnessing the very best of British business abroad.”
