Tunnock’s biscuits ‘rebranded’ for Japanese
● Scottish firm adds Union flag and ‘Made in Great Britain’ to packets
One of Scotland’s most famous confectionery firms has added a Union flag to its iconic packaging in a bid to break into the lucrative Japanese market.
Tunnocks’s, famous for its caramel logs, wafers, teacakes and snowballs, currently has a 22-tonne shipping container of waver creams on its way to Okinawa, due to arrive in September, with further shipments planned for September and December.
However, the company’s decision to rebrand itself by adding the British ensign and the words “Made in Great Britain”could attract the ire of some angry biscuit eaters.
Last year there were protests outside its factory in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, and calls for a boycott after it launched a campaign featuring its tea cakes on a silver cake stand and the slogan “The Great British Teacake”.
0 The wafer cream is said to appeal to the Japanese market because of its crispier texture
Last week representatives of Renho Japan Ltd visited the Uddingston factory to discuss plans for expansion in Japan.
Alan Burnett, the company’s export manager, said new packaging had been designed after the firm won orders for nearly two million biscuits. “The branding is different, and, as you would expect, the writing is all in Japanese. However, it does have the Tunnock’s boy on it. You would recognise it instantly.
“Our products really seem to be taking off over there.” Last year we got a Scottish government grant which allowed us to take part in a major exhibition in Tokyo. That led to use securing quite a lot of new business.”
Tunnock’s established a distribution deal with Okinawa in 1983 and this year its products went on sale in Tokyo.
Mr Burnett added that the company is exporting waver creams to Japan because the Japanese find caramel logs too “chewy” while the shipping
ALAN BURNETT time is not ideal for tea cakes. Its wafer creams are similar to caramel logs but has chocolate spread in the middle rather than caramel. Its crispier texture appeals more to Japanese tastes.
Scotland’s food and drink sales to Japan increased by nine per cent to a record £98.7 million in 2015.
In February Fiona Hyslop, MSP, external affairs secretary, on a trade visit to Japan said despite Brexit, Scotland remained an attractive place for economic development.