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Hotline to the future: why Clearline Distribution is fast gathering momentum

Linda Stewart — Tue, 31 May 2022 10:56:43 +0000

Friends Richard Norris and David Lyttle teamed up six years ago to form their own distribution company – and now Clearline Distribution is gathering momentum. NR finds out more.

As long term friends they stayed in touch as they diverged in their careers. But six years ago Richard and David joined forces to set up Clearline Distribution in 2016, and now the company is going from strength to strength with coverage across Ireland.

Their backgrounds complement each other perfectly – David went into retail after university, then started his own business supplying LED lighting and other energy saving technologies 8 years ago.

Meanwhile, Richard started his career with Coca Cola HBC, before working at Kerry Foods and then Proctor and Gamble.

New challenge

Richard explains: “We’ve known each other a lifetime – the two of us have always been in touch. David had his own business going on but could see opportunities with LED lighting within retail: I was representing Proctor and Gamble and was ready for a new challenge.”

Out on the road as he was, Richard could see opportunities and space for a new distribution company as retailers were asking him if he could source particular products.

“I could see that there was an appetite for brands that weren’t available due to lack of coverage from other distribution companies out there,” he says.

David adds: “We’d both seen there were opportunities out there within the convenience and grocery sector and we wanted to explore it further.

“Initially we focused on non-food brands. Richard came from a battery background with P&G – he sold Duracell in NI. We approached the German brand Varta Batteries, Europe’s Number 1 battery manufacturer, and successfully got them on board.

Innovative proposal

“After visiting one of the trade shows during our initial product sourcing phase we had initiated talks with Yankee Candle. We presented a proposal to bring the brand to the convenience and grocery channels which they as a brand hadn’t explored before. They bought into the proposal and an initial agreement was put in place.

“To tie up a signature brand like this at an early stage was a great start for our company. With Yankee and Varta on board along with some of the LED lighting brands already at our disposal we had a good base as a company to start developing solid trading relationships with new customers. We were also able to secure our Central Billing status with Henderson Group and Musgrave Retail Partners quite quickly which was very important to us as a company to allow us to roll out the plans we had put in place.

“As we pushed forward the main thing for us as a company was bringing challenger brands, products that were new and innovative to the market and that others weren’t doing,” Richard explains.

Diversify to grow

With this in mind and a focus on continued growth, Clearline decided to diversify into food and drink brands in 2018.

“The business has since grown from lightbulbs, batteries, air fresheners and candles, to gifting ideas, food and drink,” Richard says.

Clearline now distribute around 600 lines from around 50 brands, dealing with all the major retailers across Ireland.

“There’s no real ‘me too’ brands within our range, so we’re not following the herd,” Richard says.

“Every brand has to have a point of difference. All of our food brands have a healthy eating element – they’re either gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free, low calorie, less sugar etc.

Healthy proposition

“For example, ActipH Water was the first drink we ever took on – it’s an alkaline based water that hydrates up to 88% faster than your standard drinking water.

“The vegan and gluten free sector is obviously growing at a substantial rate and we’re having wins because of the work we have put in over the last couple of years. It’s not following everyone else, that’s the big difference – we’ve seen an opportunity here.”

One opportunity that presented itself recently is that retailers are now looking to find lines to replace the large amount of space previously taken up by the protein sector, creating an opportunity for plant-based brands like Candy Kittens, Tribe, LoveRaw etc.

“We’re obviously taking the opportunity to offer products that are healthy and suit a certain sector within society,” says David.

Veganism on the rise

“Veganism is growing quite rapidly – for instance we do a brand called LoveRaw which is currently the number one fastest growing vegan impulse brand in the UK with 5 of the Top 10 vegan chocolate bars in terms of value sales coming from the LoveRaw brand.

“We are constantly researching behind the scenes to make sure we are securing brands with serious growth potential and consumer appeal that our customers can benefit from in terms of sales.”

Richard adds: “It’s funny because David and I are very different with our tastes, but 9 times out of 10 we’ll say ‘Here, you know what, I like that’ and then it’s in.

“Low calorie is another big one. We do Flower and White Meringue Bars and Bites. A year and a half ago we were seeing a lot of people trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, so calorie count is a big thing as well.”

New premises

In January 2020, having outgrown its original warehouse in Waringstown, Clearline Distribution moved into new premises in the same area.

“We’re going six years now and we’ve been on quite a fast growth trajectory since day one,” says David.

“Turnover has been increasing year on year, business is growing, staff numbers are up and we’ve just added another new rep in Southern Ireland with more planned over the next few months to further increase our coverage.

“We’ve established a strong level of retail coverage across NI and are now trying to increase our distribution coverage within the rest of Ireland.”

“The new premises in Waringstown has offered us more warehouse and office space – and a greener footprint.

Carbon footprint

“The warehouse is powered by solar and wind, and heated by biomass. Before we moved premises we wanted to make sure we were selecting a base with sustainability in mind and making sure we kept our carbon footprint as low as possible,” David says.

Another key USP is their leading use of technology.

“All our reps are equipped with Ipads where their orders are done online. There’s no pen and paper – it’s all touch screen,” David says.

“We’re adding onto our website and developing a new online portal at the minute which will go live on June 1. We’re constantly investing in the technology and making sure we’re at the forefront of what’s available.”

Range and service

Meanwhile, clients are delighted with the range and service they receive.

Sophie Templar, regional coordinator with Applegreen NI, says they’ve been working closely with Clearline Distribution for around four years after the previous manager brought them on board.

“Their product range has significantly grown over that time and within our five sites in Northern Ireland, the Clearline range is quite extensive,” she says.

“Their rep, Jason, has a really good relationship with a lot of colleagues and he’s brilliant at what he does. He’s always upbeat, very enthusiastic about the products, and it’s great for the guys to see because that enthusiasm crosses over to our colleagues.

“They would contact us with any new ranges that they bring on board, but they wouldn’t phone us with just anything – they bring their ideas of what would work in our stores. The products they supply us are brilliant and we get quite a lot of good feedback from our customers.

Great feedback

“The majority of it is the gluten-free and vegan ranges which is something that has really grown in the market. It’s great that we can have that offer available to our customers. I do genuinely believe they are a really good company and the offers they supply to us have really helped us grow the business.”

Meanwhile. Graham Douglas, general manager at Fruitfield Supervalu in Armagh says he’s known Richard through retail for nearly 20 years and has been sourcing products since Clearline launched.

“They’ve always been very, very good to us, be it batteries or cleaning products,” he says.

“The good thing about them is that if you’re running short, it’s just a matter of a phone call and the next day it’s there.

“Richard’s always been very switched on too and they’re always implementing new lines on a regular basis. Even in the last two or three months, instead of washing powder they have introduced a new washing sheet which is meant to be the next big thing and it has sold well for us.

“The company are going from strength to strength and are a good company to deal with. It takes out a lot of paperwork for the girls – instead of having five different suppliers, you have one.”

Hard to get

Sinead Gormley, manager of McKeagney’s SPAR in Tempo, says she’s been dealing with Clearline for around five years.

“I met them in my previous site – they came in with product and we started it, and every few months they seemed to have more and more products.

“They seem to dip into stuff that is hard to get like the vegan ranges. There’s a good vegan range, the Bliss bar that all the slimming people like, and different bits and pieces that you can’t get from a lot of other suppliers. He’s always ringing up with new products as well.

“In terms of stands, there’s always good merchandising to get them seen in the store. The Yankee candles are good to tie in with the cards and Mother’s day and Valentine’s day etc – they seem to go well then.

“Richard does a good bit of seasonal stuff so when one switches out there’s a new one ready to come in. They’re good lads and they give you the range and the service would be there.”

On the road

After the pandemic arrived, Clearline Distribution was in a relatively fortunate position whereby reps were able to socially distance out on the road and continue to service stores.

“It was a key sector where people were trying to get their everyday essentials and we were still able to deliver and keep our business going, so we were very thankful that not only our business was able to keep going, but business was also good,” David says.

“Certain products were in high demand. Demand for batteries increased quite significantly because kids were off school, parents were working from home, and suddenly toys etc were being used more. Not only did demand for batteries increase quite significantly, other essentials like cleaning products, face masks etc were also very popular.”

Richard adds: “Demand was very high, and supply was very low in certain instances, so forecasting stock became extremely important.”

Forward planning

With new challenges arriving such as supply chain problems, they say forward planning is key.

“We import products like our light bulbs directly from the factory in China and our shipping prices have gone up significantly. We’re probably paying somewhere in the region of three or four times more per container than we used to pay,” David says.

“Lead time from order has stretched out as well. It’s very important for both of us at the minute to forward plan and make sure that during busy times you have your stock secured and allow for the additional lead times that we’re being hit with all the time.

“Additional planning and forward thinking is very important at the minute in the business to make sure you’re not running into stock difficulties and able to maintain the levels of service our customers expect.”

Star products

Standout products at the moment include cleaning brand My Fabulosa, which are number one in their category for brand growth; Varta batteries which have been named Which? Best Buy three years in a row; and plant-based confectionery brand LoveRaw.

“With the HFSS coming in October here there’s a lot more spotlight on this sector and a lot of our brands within our portfolio fall below this tax that’s coming in. We’re hoping there should be a large growth spurt in the latter half of this year with this tax coming in as people have to reevaluate how HFSS products sit within their store,” Richard says.

David adds: “As far as LED lighting goes, we like to think we’re offering the best quality, best value lighting alternative that there is available on the market. You’ll see our LED lighting brand TCP within all the key retail groups in NI – they’re the brand of choice in Henderson’s and Musgrave, and we will be looking to push that further as we further establish ourselves in rest of Ireland. We have a very high quality, great value alternative for customers to buy into.”

And the plan for the future is simply to continue on their growth trajectory, Richard says.

“Our plan is to continue to grow throughout Ireland and establish ourselves as one of the key distribution companies in Ireland,” he says.

To read the full feature in May’s Neighbourhood Retailer, click HERE.

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Sustainability and health are important to flexitarians – but taste is key, says Kerry

Linda Stewart — Wed, 11 May 2022 13:58:16 +0000

Sustainability and health concerns are driving consumers to plant-based meat alternatives, but the taste experience of these products continues to fall short, according to research carried out by Kerry, the world’s leading taste and nutrition company.

In 2022, Kerry carried out research with more than 1,500 consumers across four countries – US, UK, Australia and Brazil – to uncover sensory expectations around plant-based burgers and cheese alternative slices.

The research found that flexitarians, the key consumer group driving the growth of plant-based, are more critical of products versus vegan and vegetarian consumers. While sustainability is a top driver, consumers are unwilling to compromise on taste and seek products that are as close to the taste experience of animal products as possible.

The research uncovered the main drivers across key markets, as well as the attributes that consumers seek when purchasing plant-based burgers. Kerry’s research uncovered the following:

A total of 60% of UK consumers started eating plant-based products because they are considered ‘healthier’ and 76% will buy a plant-based burger described as ‘authentic chargrilled-tasting’.
63% of US consumers started eating plant-based products because they believe plant-based is ‘better for the planet’. A total of 80% of US consumers are likely to buy a plant-based burger that is ‘rich and savoury’.
51% of Australian consumers continue to buy plant-based due to a better environmental impact, with 78% expecting a burger that caramelises and browns during cooking to be delicious.
In Brazil, the benchmark is making beef burgers from scratch and seasoning to their liking. A total of 67% of Brazilian consumers continue to buy plant-based because they are committed to improving their own (or their family’s) overall health.

Taste as a gateway

Although beef is the benchmark, consumer expectations for plant-based burgers go beyond just the taste experience and are in fact higher. Consumers desire products with improved succulence and a ‘bite’ that feels as close to meat as possible. They also seek cooking cues such as charring which signal that a burger is perfectly cooked and safe to eat and want meat alternatives with improved nutrition.

Commenting on the findings, Fiona Sweeney, Strategic Marketing Director at Kerry, said: “The need for a great taste experience is universal. For plant-based foods, which are often chosen by consumers as a more sustainable option, ensuring great taste can be a gateway to delivering innovative and sustainable nutrition solutions for consumers around the world.

“However, ensuring a great taste experience – involving a full sensorial experience of sight, sound and texture – is highly complex and in plant-based foods it is inherently more challenging because the bar is set high with meat and dairy as the benchmark,” she said.

“The flexitarian consumer, the key consumer group driving category growth in plant-based foods across the world, is actively trying to reduce their meat and dairy consumption. However, as they still eat meat and dairy products, their plant-based taste expectations are driven by these experiences.

“Overall, our research found that flexitarians are more critical of the plant-based products currently available on the market. Delivering great taste, along with improved nutrition and sustainability credentials, will be key to success in this category.

“We partner with our customers to create a world of sustainable nutrition, which is led by our expertise in taste. Our understanding and expertise in developing market leading, consumer appealing plant-based solutions combined with a deeper sensory understanding can help you fine-tune product development, unlock category growth, and create something truly satisfying, innovative and market-leading.”

The findings are contained in a series of eBook published by Kerry, which contains actionable opportunities for the industry to address consumers’ current expectations and future unmet needs. You can download the eBooks here.

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NI gets first dedicated ‘free-from’ factory with £4m investment in Crossmaglen

Linda Stewart — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 14:24:23 +0000

‘Free-from’ bakery company Stone Bakery Ltd. has announced it is investing £4million to refurbish and extend the former Take N’ Bake factory in Crossmaglen, a long-standing employer in the area, creating 20 new jobs.

The plant will now become the first dedicated ‘free-from’ manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland.

Home to a range of leading baked goods for 80 years, the newly extended facility is set to become one of Europe’s biggest gluten free bakery sites and will produce a range of artisan-style vegan, dairy free, and gluten free flatbreads for local and international markets. With this investment, the company is aiming to double its turnover over the next three years.

With support from Invest NI, the company is purchasing new equipment to help it streamline its manufacturing processes and create new career opportunities for people in the area.

Baking tradition

Ronan McNamee, Stone Bakery business owner said: “The McNamee family has been baking in Crossmaglen for over 80 years and I’m incredibly proud to continue that tradition with the opening of the first dedicated ‘free-from’ manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland.

“This investment will allow us to continue the world class bakery tradition in Crossmaglen while fulfilling the fast-growing consumer demand for ‘free-from’ products.

“From my experience in the baking industry, consumer trust in the food chain is as much a driver for growth in our business as quality and taste.

“Delivering on our ambition to be the most trusted gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan bakery brand in the world, our new Stone Bakery manufacturing site will enable us to control the entire chain from seed to shelf and continue to supply the best quality flatbreads in the market with total processing transparency.”

Specialised equipment

Stone Bakery has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to establish its presence in Crossmaglen with an offer of support of £425,000 towards the new jobs and a range of specialised equipment required to manufacture its niche range of artisan flatbreads.

Blending the long-established reputation for excellence enjoyed by Take N’ Bake, the equipment being installed, along with the expertise in the business, marks the continuation of world class baking, product innovation, and bakery management, Invest NI said.

Welcoming Stone Bakery to Northern Ireland, Brian Dolaghan, Executive Director of Invest NI said: “We’re delighted to support Stone Bakery’s innovative new business in Northern Ireland.

“The growth of the ‘free-from’ food market is continuing, and Stone Bakery has its sights set on growing its share of this market across GB, Europe and beyond including North America.

“With our support, the company is purchasing new equipment to help it streamline its manufacturing processes and create new career opportunities for people in the locality.

“The new operation will have a positive impact on the Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council area, contributing almost £1 million in additional annual salaries to the Northern Ireland economy once the jobs are in place.”

Pictured (L-R) is Ronan McNamee, Owner, Stone Bakery with Brian Dolaghan, Executive Director, Invest NI.

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Finnebrogue Artisan brings an extra special Christmas to the whole table

Julie Nash — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 09:25:10 +0000

Finnebrogue Artisan has won a national deal with Asda to supply three of the retailer’s Extra Special products this Christmas.

The Downpatrick based business will produce a first to market Extra Special Vegan Turkey Joint and two new Pig in Blankets products – Extra Special Pigs in Blankets and Extra Special Double Chilli Pigs in Blankets, to stores across the UK.

Pigs in Blankets

The much-loved traditional festive favourite Pigs in Blankets are a new product from Finnebrogue Artisan for Asda and will be stocked in 579 stores for the holiday season, with the Vegan Turkey Joint available in 180 stores.

The deal builds upon Asda and Finnebrogue Artisan’s existing relationship, which has seen the family business supply Extra Special Sausages since 2014, and a range of plant-based products since the summer of 2020.

John Cowen, Finnebrogue’s Account Manager for Asda said “We’re always delighted to grow our relationship with Asda and the arrival of three new products for this year’s Extra Special Christmas range is no exception.

Meat substitute meals

“With the growing switch towards meat substitute meals, the Vegan Turkey Joint expands the Asda meat free range in 2020, offering festive foodies the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas lunch that doesn’t compromise on taste or flavour.

“The Asda Extra Special Double Chilli Pigs in Blankets will see the classic pigs in blankets, set on fire this Christmas. Extra Special Dry Cured Streaky bacon is wrapped around cocktail sausages, containing both halved jalapeños and the world’s hottest Carolina Reaper chillies, to get any Christmas party off to a hot start.

“Our customers can rely on our products for great tasting festive centre pieces and sides, whether it’s a meat or meat free option. We hope Asda customers love the new products and flavours available for their Christmas table this year.”

Vegan turkey joint

Emma Swan, Asda’s Buying Manager for NI added “At Asda, we work alongside our suppliers to create innovative, affordable and delicious products for all our shoppers and this year’s Extra Special Christmas products from Finnebrogue are a wonderful example of this work.

“We’re so proud to offer our customers a vegan turkey joint, as well as a selection of pigs in blankets. Whether you fancy something traditional or a little more quirky for your dinner table, we have our customers covered this Christmas!”

The Extra Special Vegan Turkey Joint with caramelised onion stuffing, the Extra Special Pigs in Blankets and the Extra Special Double Chilli Pigs in Blankets are available in select Asda stores across the UK now.

Emma Swan, Asda’s Buying Manager for NI and Sarah Savage, NPD Manager for Finnebrogue.

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Quarter of millennials say COVID-19 has made vegan diet more appealing

Victoria Stokes — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:02:33 +0000

The prospect of a diet packed with chickpeas, lentils, and quinoa appears to be more tempting as of late, as new research from Mintel reveals that a quarter of young British Millennials (aged 21-30) say that the COVID-19 pandemic has made a vegan diet more appealing.

These plant-loving Millennials are not alone, as the research reveals that a vegan diet is proving more attractive to over one in ten of all Brits.

This comes as Mintel research indicates there is a strong belief in the healing power of plants, as half of Brits believe plant/botanical ingredients (eg herbs, spices) can have medicinal benefits (ie treating ailments).

‘Five a day’ is a higher priority too, as a quarter of Brits say they are eating more fruit and vegetables since the start of the outbreak. Generation Z (aged 20 and under) (31 per cent) and Millennials (21-40) (27 per cent) are most likely to be keeping their fridges well-stocked with this healthy produce.

Shining a light on citrus fruits in particular, two thirds of Brits believe consuming vitamin C helps support the immune system. Overall, almost two in five (37 per cent) Brits say the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted them to add more nutrients that support the immune system to their diet.

Alex Beckett, Associate Director, Mintel Food & Drink, said:

“People want the world to change for the better right now and they are searching for ways to show compassion. For consumers struggling to know how to make a positive difference, cutting out animal protein may be seen as a way of tackling the climate crisis, showing compassion for nature, and boosting their own nutrient intake.

“Even before the spread of COVID-19, we were seeing a growing interest in plant-based food and drink across global markets. It may well be that the pandemic is accelerating this trend. For example, in China, we’ve seen skyrocketing sales of the new plant-based meat options in KFC and Pizza Hut.”

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