Healthy breakfast specialist Just Live a Little wins Qatar business

Just Live a Little, the Northern Ireland producer of luxury breakfast granola and snack bars, has won significant business in Qatar for one of its successful products.

The company, which is based at Poraferry in county Down, is now supplying a major retail network in the country as a result of a deal secured by Just Live a Little distributor CPT International in Birmingham. It is Just Live a Little’s first business in the Arabian Gulf region. Qatar is scheduled to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the first-ever in the Middle East.

On sale in supermarket iN Doha, the Qatar capital and other parts of the country is Just Live a Little’s Low Sugar Coconut and Chia Granola.

Just Live a Little is owned and managed by husband and wife team David and Jill Crawford who established the enterprising and export-led business in their farmhouse kitchen in 2011.

Just Live a Little’s Commercial director Jill Crawford says the deal could be among the most significant export business secured by the company.

“We have been working with the team at CPT International for some time on distributing our products to key markets such as the Middle East. We appreciate the advice and guidance from CPT’s experienced team about doing business in the Middle East, a target market for us, from their knowledge of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Egypt since its formation in 1993.

“Our low sugar granola features colourful new packaging for the Middle East, samples of which were sent to many CPT customers there. The feedback was immensely encouraging and led directly to the exciting business with supermarkets in a market in which families are becoming increasingly concerned about sugar and obesity. Our granola was developed to meet this important developing trend there,” adds Mrs Crawford. “We’ve seen the market trend towards high fibre, protein-rich and low salt products. We’ve now developed innovative and tasty products that, we believe, exceed these requirements and offer consumers healthy and delicious breakfast options,” she adds.

As a result of a longstanding focus on business outside Northern Ireland, Just Live a Little now exports its luxury granolas to Asia, especially Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as to Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

The company is also now among the most successful artisan providers of premium products in Northern Ireland.

The high fibre and low salt granolas reflect the small company’s longstanding commitment to healthier products that ensure quality, outstanding flavours, wholesomeness and transparency for customers. In addition, all Just Live a Little products are made from the finest ingredients and are fully traceable.

Just Live a Little breakfast granolas and other cereals and snacks are all handmade and are preservative-free and have been created by the husband and wife team.

The granolas are slow baked and are available in a range of delicious flavours. The company also makes a gluten-free granola – Triple Nut from oats grown and processed in such a way that they don’t come into contact with wheat.