Bristol-based instant noodle brand Kabuto Noodles has secured a contract with a chain of French grocery stores which will put its products on the shelves of more than 120 supermarkets across France.
Kabuto was launched in 2010 by Crispin Busk, who saw a gap in the market for ‘posh instant noodles’ inspired by classic Thai, Chinese and Japanese flavours and made with high-quality, natural ingredients and no additives. 
It has since grown into a strong brand, selling its noodles through major supermarkets and independent shops and building up a dedicated following that has driven up sales to £4m a year.
It started exporting in 2014 – overseas sales now account for 5% of turnover – and its noodles are now enjoyed in more than 10 countries, including Russia, Malaysia and Iceland.
It has been working with advisers from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Department for International Trade (DIT) to help identify potential overseas markets and insight on international competitors.
The new deal with grocery chain Franprix has been a year in the making after Kabuto attended global food and beverage trade show Gulfood, where French buyers tasted its noodles.
The business has now completed its first order, sending 2,600 pots to the supermarket group as part of a contract for 65,000 to Franprix over the next year.
Kabuto Noodles sales manager Sophie Venner said: “Exporting is something that happened organically for our business with our first international buyers approaching us directly. We’re very lucky that our products have global appeal.
“We’ve been working with the team at DIT since 2012 and in that time they have provided us with in-depth market research and competitor analysis, which helped create our international pricing.
“Of course, exporting isn’t without its challenges. We first met buyers from Franprix a year ago, which shows how far in advance you need to start planning for overseas sales. Ahead of the deal, we had to translate all our labels into French, which is costly and time-consuming job.
“One of the things we found tricky in the beginning was the disparity between flavour preferences in different countries. For instance, our chicken flavour noodles are our top sellers in the UK, but this didn’t sell well in France and customers there much prefer our miso and beef variations.
“For any business looking to export their products, I’d say ‘go for it’ – but make sure you get the advice from organisations like DIT. If we can do it, so can many other South West firms.”
As part of the Food is GREAT campaign, Defra and DIT are supporting businesses like Kabuto to take the leap and sell their food and drink products abroad. The campaign is a cross-departmental initiative to showcase the calibre of UK food and drink overseas and help firms build new exporting relationships.
DIT South West head of exports Paul Shand said: “Kabuto Noodles is a great example of a local business that’s harnessing the benefits exporting can bring. We know firms that trade internationally are more successful, profitable and resilient than their non-exporting counterparts.
“British-made food and drink has a global reputation for its high quality, and our food trends are being followed by producers and consumer across the world, which gives a clear advantage for ambitious brands like Kabuto Noodles who are leading the way overseas.
“Exporting can be seen as a challenge, particularly for firms with limited time resource and capacity. That’s why we have a team of international trade advisers in the South West to guide firms through the exporting process. Our advisers can help companies target new territories and advise them on matters such as tax, regulation and logistics.”
