Whitley Bay seaweed business sails for new overseas markets

A North Tyneside company that makes edible seaweed products is targeting new overseas markets.

Since Whitley Bay-based Seaweed & Co. was founded in 2014, exports have grown to account for 15% of the firm’s annual turnover.

The business, set up by marine biologist and wild-seaweed harvester Dr Craig Rose, sells its milled seaweed ingredients to customers as far afield as Australia, Canada, Israel and South Korea, as well as across Europe.

Seaweed & Co. is now working with international trade advisers from the Department for International Trade (DIT) to ramp up its presence in the Scandinavian and US markets.

The company is receiving ongoing support as part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and DIT’s Food is GREAT campaign, which is aiming to encourage more British food and drink businesses to export.

During a DIT-sponsored ‘Meet the buyer’ trade mission to Copenhagen later this month, Seaweed & Co. will showcase its Weed & Wonderful range of seaweed-infused cooking oils and nutritional supplements to Danish buyers.

Founder Dr Craig Rose said: “Exporting has been part of our business strategy from the very beginning. There is a huge market out there, and by working with distributors and partners overseas we’ve been able to increase our profitability and boost our resilience.

“There is an increasing awareness of the health benefits from eating seaweed, and there’s a growing demand for our products as a direct result.”

He added: “Although people still raise their eyebrows when they find out we sell seaweed, markets such as Scandinavia, where consumers are relatively health conscious, hold potential for serious growth.”

The DIT’s North East regional head, David Coppock, commented: “Seaweed & Co. is an example of a local firm that has been quick to capitalise on a growing international trend with health-conscious consumers, with its highly versatile product.

“We know that exporting can sometimes present hurdles, which is why DIT is on hand to offer our support.”

He continued: “Our network of International Trade Advisers based on the ground across the North East can offer firms of all sizes advice on everything from logistics and tax to language and intellectual property, as well as help businesses access funding for missions abroad.”