You can’t bake a pie without breaking a few eggs, goes the popular saying. Unless you decide to go vegan, as one enterprising British cake exporter did. However, Pecan Deluxe Candy has chosen to ditch animal ingredients not for ethical reasons, but to avoid high post-Brexit costs and secure the future.
The Leeds-based manufacturer, which caters to well-known international brands of cakes, pastries and treats such as crumbs, fudge and biscuit dough, said it had cut Brexit-related costs significantly by replacing eggs and dairy with plant-based alternatives.
Recent offerings include biscuit cream cheesecake, warm cookie dough dessert and salted caramel muffins, all vegan friendly.
Unlike butter and egg options, reformulated products do not require export health certification or veterinary controls, allowing the confectioner to avoid these additional costs and associated documentation.
Before the UK left the EU, almost all of the company’s business came from customers within the bloc, with Germany and Spain being the biggest importers. But after Brexit, the Pecan Deluxe suffered a downturn and had to cut staff to stay afloat.
“Brexit is having a huge impact on our business,” CEO Graham Kingston told a trade magazine. Grocer.
“Before the UK left the EU single market, 84 percent of the company’s sales were to European customers. Now that number is about 55 percent.”
The losses forced Mr. Kingston and his team to innovate and revise their recipes. Changes include replacing butter with vegetable oils and eliminating eggs. Since the introduction of the new formulas, they have experienced huge reductions in shipping costs, veterinary bills and paperwork, according to Mr. Kingston.
Only the cost of delivery in some cases has decreased by 70 percent.
The company has also attracted interest from new EU importers looking to save money as prices for milk, butter and eggs have soared.
“It’s a win-win because … EU importers are also trying to cut their costs by buying reformulated products,” Mr. Kingston said.
Source: I News
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