A SCOTTISH food firm is to sell oil to the Middle East after sealing a major export deal.
Summer Harvest Oils is eyeing international growth after winning a contract to market its cold-pressed rapeseed oil and dressings to high-end retailer Choithrams, which has 21 outlets in Dubai.
The deal follows two other contracts to supply retailers across the Middle East, including the LuLu supermarket chain, which has stores across the Gulf region, and Bahrain retailer Alosra.
Founder Mark Bush, who left a career in IT to start the Perthshire firm in 2008, said: “It not every day a business from the centre of Scotland exports oil to the Middle East. “I am absolutely delighted to have won this contract to send our cold- pressed rapeseed oil to the Gulf.
“Our oil has been selected against a wide variety of other cold-pressed oils produced from all over the world and it is overwhelming to see that our hard work and dedication that has been put into producing these products is finally paying off.
“With 2015 being Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, is has certainly proved to be an amazing year for Summer Harvest Oils.”
Summer Harvest Oils grows, presses and triple filters its products at Ferneyfold Farm near Crieff.
The method allows seed oils to be extracted without the use of chemicals or solvents at temperatures below 40C, preserving the nutritional and content and flavour.
The products have passed the industry taste test, with chefs Andrew Fairlie and Tom Kitchin both using them in their Michelin-starred restaurants.
Bush travelled to Dubai to showcase his range at the Gulfood trade fair as part of a wider Scottish delegation last year.
Susan Beattie, of Scottish Development International, said: “We will continue to work with the team at Summer Harvest to develop their export plan and provide practical support to help Mark to realise his international ambitions.”
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