Artisan confectioner Linda McGibbon, from Larne, enjoyed “vastly increased” sales of her handcrafted sweets in Britain as a result of an appearance on the highly rated television cookery programme hosted by celebrity chef James Martin.
Linda, who runs SeaSugar Confectionery, was invited to take part by Martin to discuss the virtues of proper sweets.
And the short appearance brought a flood of orders from customers as far apart as the US and Dubai.
There was also online sales from sweet lovers in Switzerland, Belgium and France keen to taste the rich flavours of the Larne businesswoman’s unique confections.
“I’ve always had a strong customer base in Britain,” Linda says. “But orders there have vastly increased since the show.”
The biggest seller, she continues, is: “My new product, traditional yellowman which is based on my granny’s original recipe.
“It really seems to have caught people’s imagination. It’s being followed closely in the orders by firm favourites such as rhubarb/vanilla, apple/pear, and ginger as well as another new flavour, mango/passion fruit and pineapple,” adds Linda.
“Overall, the TV show has been a tremendous boost for my small business.
“There really is a tremendous interest in the quality and variety of the handcrafted sweets I’ve been developing over many years in Larne,” she adds.
Linda has won a host of major awards such as UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards for her original hard sweets made by a pulling process.
The Whitehead businesswoman formed the small company in her home kitchen in 2016 and subsequently moved to an industrial unit in Larne.
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