Scottish dessert and popcorn supplier bucks Trump’s tariff turmoil with rising UK and US sales
“The global rising cocoa prices have been tough on the entire industry” – David Archer, MD
A Fife-based dessert sector supplier has hailed healthy growth on both sides of the Atlantic despite facing tariff and cost challenges.
Sephra, which is based in Kirkcaldy, reported a strong end to the year, as it also battled record high cocoa prices and fallout from Brexit.
The firm has seen 77 per cent growth in the UK over the past two years, coupled with 79 per cent growth in its US office, in Throop, Pennsylvania. It has 38 employees between both locations.
Sephra is involved in the manufacture and distribution of dessert-making, patisserie and bakery equipment, ingredients and confectionery for the foodservice and retail industries in more than 70 countries. It also operates a wholesale distribution business.
In the UK, Sephra Popcorn, a sub brand of the business, can be found in major retailers, including Asda and Morrisons. Scotmid Cooperative was recently added to the list of stockists.
Managing director David Archer said: “We are pleased to be experiencing sustained growth across Sephra on both sides of the Atlantic, and to be finishing strongly for 2025. The global rising cocoa prices have been tough on the entire industry.
“A new product we’ve introduced this year to counteract these increases is our new ‘50/50’ compound/couverture chocolate blend, a budget-friendly option that helps businesses manage costs without a significant drop in quality. Originally developed by us for a leading UK customer who wanted to protect their clientele from menu price rises, they were delighted with this new blend, finding it gave quality results.
“We saw the potential to widen this out as a new product in our portfolio that other customers could take advantage of. It’s been so popular we’re now going to launch it into the US market as well.”
He added: “Sometimes all you can do is react to things beyond your control, such as tariffs and global commodity markets. However, if you are to do so, it's important that we react quickly with level heads and avoid panicking.
“We work as a team in Sephra, taking the perspective of all stakeholders in the business to ensure we make good decisions.”
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