UK-based Buxton Foods brought its Beatrix Potter character range of organic baby foods to SIAL, to see what the buyers at international food show would make of this classic British branding. "In the UK we are already in Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose," marketing executive Katie Towers told just-food in Paris.
Merchandising is a finely shaded topic for the brand, due to its strong identification with Peter Rabbit. "In Tesco, we went into baby products, where the Peter Rabbit image found a stronger echo than it would have done in the organic foods aisle," explained Towers.
Beatrix Potter's books are translated into many languages, including Latin and Greek for classicists. However, the strongest interest at the show has been from English-speaking markets, notably north America and Commonwealth countries such as Australia and South Africa - all important secondary markets for English book publishers.
