Tetley is one great British brand that has managed to carve out a niche in the lucrative convenience sector thanks to the introduction of a special mini pack containing 10 of its drawstring teabags. The pack works because it appeals to the consumer's preference for smaller sizes and because it hits an attractive pricepoint in the c-store (¥148 or less than £1). To develop the concept, Tetley and its distributor Dodwell worked with Food from Britain which helped set up a meeting with the 7-Eleven chain where the pack is being sold, advised them on packaging and advertising, and sorted out more mundane things such as getting customs clearance. This is an example of the sort of "far reaching" consultancy work FFB can do for exporters, according to Dan Thomas, md of the Japanese office. "We spend quite a lot of time working for specific companies to help them either get their product into the market or help them expand and manage their existing business. That can start from pretty basic market research to see if there's any demand for their product, through to checking whether there are any regulatory issues relating to ingredients and looking for distributors." The other strand of Food from Britain's work in Japan revolves around promotional activities. Its office gets involved with Foodex in Tokyo, organises mini exhibitions and sample shows, sorts out inward missions to and from Britain, helps run special promotions for categories or individual companies, and has even produced a tv advertorial extolling the virtues of British afternoon tea. {{COVER FEATURE }}

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