KTC Almond Oil 500 ml

Product Information

GT – You’re currently involved with South Asian and Caribbean foods. Are you looking at importing foods from any other countries? KTC (Edibles) is probably best known to the UK food industry as Britain’s largest independent manufacturer and distributor of oils and fats. The KTC and Sea Isle food brands, which it also markets here, are familiar to Asian and Afro-Caribbean consumers both in the UK and, through KTC’s export arm, in many countries overseas. KTC has had a busy last few months: significant new business wins on both the retail and foodservice fronts and the introduction of a number of new speciality products and recipe ingredients have gone hand in hand with KTC’s retail products’ increasing popularity with adventurous Brit consumers. It all means KTC is strongly placed for further growth all round, as Mike Baldrey, KTC (Edibles) Ltd’s Sales Director, explained to The Grocery Trader. The current owners of the business are the Khera family and myself, Mike Baldrey. Although I have a minority shareholding, it is significant. We have many of the most respected brands in the ethnic food industry, KTC, Sea Isle, Supermalt and Ashoka, to mention just four; we are always competitively priced and generally give an excellent all-round service. Quality has always been a top priority. It’s quite simple: we offer personal attention, competitive prices and have 700 products to choose from.

I wrote about the many Hair Oils available some weeks ago, and the best Hair Oils for growth. Well I have been experimenting with a few new hair oils to discover the best hair oil for our hair (that is myself and my baby girl). KTC serves the whole spectrum of the UK and export food trade including the major multiples, the major wholesale groups and food manufacturers and processors supplying foodservice and retail. ALMOND OIL AS COOKING OIL This oil was extracted from sweet almonds, it is quite clear, pale yellow, low viscosity and mild pure flavor, so it comes as high-quality edible oil used. It is suitable for fresh salads, fruit salads, sauces and sweet dishes, also for frying or for fondue. In Indian cuisine, it is considered a “staple”.

I’d like to see us continue to use our vegetable oils and fats as our bread and butter – forgive the pun! – while expanding further in the exciting arena of “New Continental Foods” and bringing in more profits from both areas. I’m delighted to see the increasing shelf space afforded to us by the multiples for these new KTC lines. GT – Where are your other retail products and your speciality products made? Do you make these products in your own factories, or do you act as importers and distributors for them? KTC Almond oil is a rich source of vitamin E and is beneficial in many ways. Almonds are treasures of some essential minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Raw almond oil enhances the taste of the food including salads, grains and toasts.

GT – Of your retail products, what proportion of sales is retailer private label and what proportion is branded? Do you have capacity to take on more retailer private label, and if so what kind of products? GT – You recently launched some exciting new products. What are they, and when did you launch them? How are they doing? The Grocery Trader – When was KTC (Edibles) founded, and who by? What was the business’s initial focus? Mr Jernail Singh Khera founded KTC in 1973. The company originally began trading in cosmetic oils, as used in the Asian community for health and beauty purposes. Originally a partnership operating as Khera Trading Co, it became a limited company and the name changed to include the “edibles” for impact, in 1979. I have used quite a few already, but I was not 100% sold on any until I tried this KTC Pure Almond Oil.

Disclaimer

GT – Which of your products have crossed over from being bought purely by the ethnic community to being bought by Brits as part of their cooking repertoire, and which ones have the potential to do so? Have you modified any of your products’ recipes to appeal to UK mainstream tastes? This product is THE TRUTH! I can’t see myself using any other kind of oil. I have used them all, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil; and this Almond Oil is the best oil by far. I love it. My natural hair has had a full transformation. I am still transitioning, but I can see my hair fully transitioned in about 3 months. Our oils and fats are generally refined in the UK and blended and processed by us in Wednesbury and Liverpool. We develop all our own products with the help of the refiners and Leatherhead Food International.

My brief is to control and oversee our profitable sales to all the market sectors we operate in. We are well represented in the Ethnic sector and have specialist operators in foodservice, bakery and ingredients, as well as sales agents helping us across the board. It is a great multi-tasking oil. Fabulous for moisturising he skin (I add it to my regular lotion), conditioning he hair (I use it in my spray bottle with some water), and cooking.The split between the major multiples and the wholesalers and smaller retail outlets is 2:1 in favour of the independent wholesalers and retailers, but the multiple business’s contribution has grown over 50% since January 2008. GT – What proportion of your retail and speciality sales go through supermarkets, Co-ops and C-store chains? How fast is this business growing?