As part of our Business Spotlight Series, we’ve been interviewing local business owners to hear about their journey, what they’ve learnt along the way and their advice for others looking to start their own business.
We recently spoke with Enes Başar, Managing Director of Kervan Gida UK who, like many businesses, had to quickly adapt to the changing market and consumers’ purchasing habits. Find out the actions Enes took to make the business more efficient and his advice for those thinking of going into business:
Tell us about your role at Kervan Gida UK
As of May 2022, I was appointed Managing Director of Kervan Gida UK.
Following in the footsteps of my father (Sukru Başar – Kervan Gida Chairman), I joined the business, in Istanbul, after finishing high school. In my early years with the company, I studied for an Industrial Engineering degree before taking over the responsibility for managing and improving efficiencies in the supply chain, production, accountancy and export departments.
In 2017 I moved to England, it was at this time I got to work closely with the former Kervan Gida UK MD, Stuart Johnston, and understand the UK business culture. I initially took on a Business Development Role and transitioned into the Operations Manager role in 2019, where I was responsible for the warehouse, finance, and recruitment, before eventually being named MD in 2022.
What’s the biggest impact COVID-19 has had on the business?
Our colleagues in Turkey were quick to implement the necessary safety precautions in our factories, and our office-based teams took to working from home. I’m very proud of how the teams handled the changes so professionally and efficiently.
As a family-owned business, teamwork and safety are a priority to us. We understand the need to work together for a common cause and to be flexible where required. During the pandemic the whole company came together to support one another.
In terms of performance, like many other brands in our sector, the initial months were uncertain and driven by unpredictable consumer behaviour. As things began to settle, we benefited from the uplift in impulse purchasing and demand for sharing packs and fun packs as consumers replaced social occasions with nights in, at home. The enforced lifestyle change led to a sales uplift in treat items and sharing packs, a trend which is continuing to the present day.
What are some of the actions you’ve taken because of the pandemic?
The pandemic provided us with a moment of pause to review our internal capabilities. We know that consumers’ buying habits are changing; consumers are shopping online more than ever and when they do, they’re keen to interact with brands that they know and trust. This learning has definitely influenced our marketing strategy in 2022 as we amp up our social media presence and enhance our web content.
We have also been working hard to make the company more efficient. In the first instance, we restructured our warehouse and distribution chain to cut costs, moving the warehouse from a site in Chichester to a third-party provider in Ipswich.
With this cost saving on transport and warehousing we are currently updating our IT systems including implementing a new CRM to improve our service to customers and our overall efficiency.
Lastly, we have become a more flexible business when it comes to hybrid working. Updating our systems has enabled team members to work from home where it simply wasn’t possible previously.
What’s your biggest learning since you’ve been a business owner?
To embrace change.
Change and evolution are key to growth. As the UK business has grown, I have had to learn to embrace change and to bring in expertise where required. It’s been vital to our growth strategy to have the right people in the right positions and as such, it’s imperative I trust others with the job in hand.
An example of this is the appointment of Phil Hulme, Commercial Director in 2021. Phil brings with him 14 years of confectionery experience and over 20 years in FMCG. Previous appointments include positions with Danone, Katjes and Kinnerton Confectionery Ltd. Since joining the business, Phil has focused on increasing our UK sales turnover and share within the grocery sector, as well as developing new routes to market via branded ranges and private label offerings.
It’s an exciting time as I work more closely with Phil, drawing on his wealth of industry experience and knowledge. I am confident Phil will continue to support our business with his invaluable insight and vision to intensify our efforts in successfully growing the brand.
What have been the biggest issues you have overcome?
The transition from the Turkish business into the UK business. When I moved to the UK, my spoken English was limited, and the UK food and drink sector differs vastly from that in Turkey.
What’s your biggest motivator?
Our long-term plan is to become a leader in the UK sweets market and make sure every household in the UK has a bag of Bebeto in their cupboard! The real motivation for me is to replicate the success of Bebeto in Turkey, in the UK and for the brand to become a household name.
What have you learned about yourself during the journey?
I continue to learn more about myself every day, especially having been recently appointed as the UK Managing Director. I have no doubt that my resilience has helped me to adapt and grow in what was a completely unknown environment when I moved here. Now the UK is my second home, I have started a family here with my wife and newborn baby.
I am also confident that my drive and motivation for the success of the overall business is what helps me to keep moving forward, regardless of the challenges we face.
What does the future look like and what do you see as the main challenges moving forward?
Our business has thrived from a start-up in 2015 to a business with +58% growth in 2021 and annual sales of over £20 million. 2022 is looking even sweeter for our business, with sales already up +20% (YTD).
We have recently agreed a new grocery listing with a major UK retailer, and a €23.5 million acquisition of a Polish confectionery company – all on the back of a six-figure UK TV campaign debut (which ran in the summer of 2021), ‘Everything’s Bebetter with Bebeto’.
Our UK business has grown 58% in the past 12 months; we strongly believe that investment in the European market will be extremely fruitful and will go a long way to strengthen our brand value. Having Phil help drive this forward, we aim to be among the top five brands worldwide in our category.
We are currently working on lots of exciting NPD including vegan and low sugar lines as well as salted snacks from our polish factory, and chocolate products from a further Turkish factory that we own.
Increasing commodity prices and the availability of raw materials is our biggest challenge currently, but we continue to monitor the situation and work with our team in Turkey to mitigate these challenges.
If you started your business again, what would you do differently?
Setting up the UK business was a real challenge, and as such I am very grateful to have spent time shadowing the previous MD. However, if I were to start the set up of the UK business again, I would have spent more time learning the language and the business environment before relocating.
The strategy when I joined was also heavily focused on the wholesale market. If I were to do things differently, I believe we would have moved into the grocery market at an earlier date.
What would you say to anyone thinking of going into business?
Keep moving forward. Be prepared that you may not always get the results you want, but if you keep motivated and moving forward, progression is inevitable.
