Exporting premium Scottish ice cream to the US brings significant opportunity, but also a steep learning curve. From navigating regulations and logistics to understanding regional consumer preferences and standing out in a highly competitive market, there is a lot to get right.

For Equis, GlobalScot offered access to experienced people who could help the business test its thinking, better understand the market and explore the right opportunities for future growth.

The challenge

Equis is already exporting to Texas in collaboration with another Scottish ice cream company. By combining their products and marketing activity, the two businesses can consolidate shipments and make exporting more commercially viable.

However, entering the US market has not been straightforward. An early shipment was destroyed at customs because the necessary requirements had not been met, while changes following Brexit meant the companies had to rethink their logistics model.

Having overcome many of the initial regulatory and technical barriers, the next challenge is growth: identifying the right regions, retailers and routes to market without expanding too quickly or compromising the premium positioning of the brands.

The GlobalScot support

Although David had only recently registered with GlobalScot, he quickly began to see the value of having access to people with first-hand international experience.

Through the network, he spoke with GlobalScot Irene Waldman about the differences between US regions and how Equis products and branding might be received by American consumers. The conversation generated new ideas, including the potential fit between California and a Scottish vegan ice cream made using fresh Scottish oat milk.

The discussion also allowed David to ask practical questions about branding, sustainability, food truck culture and the supermarket landscape. This helped him explore whether the company’s assumptions would translate into the market before committing further resources.

What changed

The support gave Equis an opportunity to validate its thinking with someone who understood the market.

Rather than treating the US as one uniform market, the conversation highlighted the importance of considering the different commercial and consumer characteristics of individual states. It also helped the business explore where products centred on Scottish provenance, premium quality and sustainability could have the strongest appeal.

For a business managing international growth with a relatively small team, access to experienced professionals provides a valuable external perspective. As David explained:

“There are things that you’ll come across that you just haven’t got a clue about. There are a lot of questions that we don’t have the answers to, but other people have got the experience and want to provide that input.”

GlobalScot is now set to play a growing role as Equis works towards its ambition of increasing exports and explores potential opportunities in the US and other international markets.

Advice for other Scottish businesses

David’s advice to other Scottish companies considering GlobalScot is simple:

Make use of the help that is available.

Exporting can feel daunting, particularly for smaller businesses where senior leaders are often managing the process themselves. Speaking to people who have relevant experience can help businesses ask better questions, avoid potential pitfalls and approach new opportunities with greater confidence.

As David put it:

“The more help you can get from an outside source at that level, the better. I’m only scratching the surface of it, but we will be making more use of GlobalScot as part of our expansion.”