SeaSugar, the award-winning Northern Ireland producer of a range of traditional hard sweets in original flavours featuring natural ingredients has won backing from the Brighter Futures Grant Scheme to develop sales in Britain.

SeaSugar, the award-winning Northern Ireland producer of a range of traditional hard sweets in original flavours featuring natural ingredients has won backing from the Brighter Futures Grant Scheme to develop sales in Britain.

Based in Larne, county Antrim, the artisan business, which hand crafts boiled sweets in unique flavours, will use the funding support to link up with leading confectionery consultant Andy Baxendale, known internationally as the ‘Sweet Consultant’.

The Brighter Futures Grant Scheme which is backed by a local soccer team Larne FC, supports local community enterprises including artisan and smaller businesses.

Linda McGibbon, the founder and managing director of SeaSugar, a small business which has won UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards for quality products with outstanding flavours, says: “I pitched for support in developing my small company to the fund and was delighted that my proposal to seek expert advice for my plans for both short and long-term growth. I greatly appreciate the opportunity provided by the scheme to grow my business.

“I tabled the proposal to link up with Andy Baxendale to develop my confectionery making skills to create original sweets aimed specifically at the huge market in Britain. It will be immensely beneficial to be able to tap into and learn from his vast knowledge and expertise in the global confectionery industry,” she adds.

From Wigan, Mr Baxendale has over 25 years’ experience in confectionery and is planning an Academy of Sweets to encourage skills and the growth of the industry in Britain.

The Brighter Futures Grant Scheme was launched earlier in the year with Larne FC to encourage entrepreneurship through seed funding in the Mid and East Antrim Council Area.

Linda, who formed the artisan business uses only natural extracts and essences for a fresh and true flavour, and simple natural colourings. SeaSugar has created an exciting range of flavours in some familiar and some more unusual combinations.