A Scottish candy producer sees the income of its fudge and toffee surge in Iraq. What’s feeding that growing popularity?
In northern Iraq, stores are dashing to fill their shelves with candies. The Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or Festival of the Sacrifice, is approaching – and it’s miles an essential part of the 12 months for confectionery corporations. In Iraqi Kurdistan, as elsewhere, the 4-day competition, which begins on Sunday, is a time for birthday parties and feasting – and chocolates are very much on the menu. That’s good news for Sulaymaniyah-based businessman Farhad Haseeb, who sells confectionery to upmarket stores in Erbil and Dohuk and different cities and towns inside the location. “In our lifestyle, each person buys very candy things to provide to their guests while they’re touring their houses,” he says. “Toffee is a prevalent preference for Kurdish humans, especially at Ramadan and Eid.”
Iraqi Kurdistan profile
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And households across Iraqi Kurdistan may be tucking into sweets made 2,600 miles away in Scotland. Greenock-based confectioner Golden Casket, which might be satisfactorily acknowledged inside the UK for its Millions logo, is one of Mr. Haseb’s predominant international providers. Several years ago, he first related up with the Scottish company at a confectionery change display. He has been ordering growing amounts of its Halal-certified fudge, chocolate eclairs, and diverse toffees each year. Iraq is now Golden Casket’s third-biggest export market after America and Ireland. The family-owned company produces about 70 tonnes of toffees, boilings, fudges, chocolates, and chews weekly. So this 12 months, it has despatched more than 60 tonnes of its Buchanan’s logo sweets to the location.
So, what’s behind the success of Scottish toffee in Iraqi Kurdistan?
“In our tradition, eclairs and butter toffees are very popular,” says Mr. Haseb. “We purchase them from Belgium and Poland; however, Scottish toffee is excellent – it is extra chewy. We are selling increasingly every 12 months.” Mr. Haseb, whose business enterprise Arak Garden imports more than two hundred tonnes of toffee and chocolate annually, expects extra orders with Golden Casket this 12 months. The Scottish organization, acknowledged within the UK for its “One Pounder” baggage, has been modified to cater to the developing Iraqi market.
It recently installed new machinery to enhance its chocolate eclair manufacturing capability. The agency has also been paying close attention to merchandise packaging for the Iraqi marketplace. Sales supervisor Stuart Rae explains: “Each jar of toffee or fudge has were given to be gold-wrapped – gold being a signal of satisfaction – and it must be made within the UK. “That’s the high-quit stuff for the Kurdish market in Iraq.” Golden Casket’s handling director Crawford Rae, also chairman of Greenock Morton Football Club, sees Iraq and the surrounding location as an “outstanding opportunity”.
He says: “We exhibited in Dubai for the primary time in November – it’s an emerging marketplace and one which we want to break into, and export is a growth capacity for us.” The Kurdish link is a welcome one for Golden Casket, specifically as the overall confectionery marketplace in the UK stays noticeably flat.
