"The UK market has been hugely challenging since the pound dropped, but we were expecting it so we managed to protect ourselves from the immediate consequences," explains Yvonne Tweddle, senior manager at Jupiter Marketing. "Now everyone is in the same boat, so its about people understanding that this is the market position now. We and others need to do direct deals with people, source to source."
Mark and Yvonne Tweddle at the Amsterdam Produce Show
Yvonne said that they will definitely keep on supplying the UK although there will be a renegotiation of price. "The price at which goods can be supplied will come down to the efficiency of the individual companies. We have an office in South Africa so we can sell direct from there to wherever and protect ourselves from the pound by using other currencies."
Jupiter also has customers in the Far and Middle East, "We want to work with people who are reputable," said Yvonne. "These markets are going well and there are more opportunities there, but it is important to have the right partners and we need to ensure that any partnerships adhere to our values and that our supply chain is protected."
"China is a difficult one, but for us it is growing. They are certainly becoming open to the idea of dealing directly with people, but again it is about finding the right partnerships, with the right mentality and openness and again making sure our supply chain is protected; it is the same wherever we go in the world."
Jupiter is currently planting new grape varieties around the world which they are very excited about, "We are very much hoping to grow our business with grapes. Some of our joint ventures have been very much about delivering these new varieties to our customers," according to Yvonne.
Jupiter has its own brands but can also pack under retailer's brands if required.