Dubai: Dairy product Camelicious is milking the success of its venture in the UK — with plans to cater to 35 additional retailers in London by the end of the year.
Even though camel milk may not be the type of product that springs to mind when thinking of goods in the UK, ethnic groups are keen to buy it as it gives them a taste of their home.
The UAE-based company’s product can be found at seven outlets in London, eight in Sheffield, and six stores in Bradford, in addition to several smaller shops in both Tottenham and Manchester.
The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products (EICMP), which is the producer of the camel milk brand Camelicious, has been sending out its trial batch to the UK since January and will start its first regular shipment in March.
“We faced a few challenges when we first entered the UK market, and had to build up awareness and show people that camel milk can be used in any recipe, and can be a substitute for people who are intolerant to cow’s or sheep’s milk,” Mohammad Ashraf, director of sales at EICMP, told Gulf News on Friday.
He explained that most people are health conscious these days, and that every person who drinks milk is seen as a potential customer.
Camel milk products have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and can help those who are recovering from stomach bugs and infections. Camel milk also contains 10 times the amount of iron found in cow’s milk and five times the amount of vitamin C.
“In the next few weeks, we will send out a regular shipment from 300-500 litres of camel milk every 10 days. The products used for exporting have also been made with a longer shelf life, so that they can last for 15 days, instead of one week,” said Ashraf.
Camel milk can now be found at ethnic and halal shops, but within the coming months, he pointed out that it will also be available at high-end shopping centres, and shops selling specialised food delicacies.
But the exportation of Camelicious will not stop in the UK, as EICMP intends to start its second phase and branch out into Germany, the Netherlands and France. To cater to the growing number of consumers, EICMP is expecting to raise the number of camels from 3,600 to 10,000 within two years.
