Vegan gum Chewsy gets Canada distribution deal

British vegan chewing gum maker Chewsy has signed a £125,000 five-year deal that will make its range of gums available to Canadian consumers for the first time.

The deal comes after the Department for International Trade (DIT) helped the start-up company secure Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) funding to attend the 2019 ISM confectionery trade show in Germany.

Established in 2018 after its founder Sunitt Halai started getting headaches he attributed to the artificial ingredients in chewing regular gum, Chewsy was the first of growing number of plant-based, plastic free chewing gum makers in the UK. The company's  organic, plastic free gum is also fully biodegradable and sugar free.

The Canadian deal means Chewsy is now available in 17 countries, with 40 per cent of the Bedford-based company's sales now originating outside the UK.

Halai credits the company's work with the DIT for aiding its global expansion. "Securing deals with large retailers is hard, so having support from our adviser at the Department for International Trade to attend trade shows and receive ongoing advice, really makes a difference; selling internationally has been the highlight of our business journey so far," he said.

Deputy trade commissioner (HMTC) for Canada, Jennifer Young described the deal as "a great example of how the partnership between government and business can help British businesses of all sizes meet international customers and identify new export markets".

Chewsy is also available in the US and says it plans to be available in Australia in the near future.

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