From a popcorn gift to a £100,000 export order: Joe & Seph’s
How a British family business found overseas distribution and the protection to take on its largest export order.
Editorial desk
How far can a bag of popcorn take a family business? A UK government account published on 21 September 2026 offers a concrete answer. London-based Joe & Seph’s was exporting its premium popcorn to 32 countries and employing more than 60 people at its London headquarters.
The story began with a gift for relatives. Founder Joseph Sopher brought gourmet popcorn home from the United States, a small act that became the opening chapter of Joe & Seph’s. This origin story appears in the UK government’s 2015 case study.
In 2010, Joseph began experimenting with 30 classic British flavours and a special cooking process involving air-popping. Those early experiments gave the familiar snack a distinct product direction: popcorn built around British tastes.
A distinctive product still needed an export plan. Looking back in the 2015 case study, co-founder Adam Sopher described the original approach as rather reactive. Working with the then UK Trade & Investment helped the team develop a more concrete plan to support its export journey.
On one occasion, Adam joined a webinar hosted by the British Embassy in Copenhagen to meet people who understood the Danish market. Those connections eventually led to listings with a large local distributor. An online conversation had become a route to overseas customers.
By 2026, expansion in the Middle East brought an opportunity with one of Saudi Arabia’s largest supermarket chains. But the £100,000 order also brought risk in a new market. According to the official account, the small business could not accept that risk without additional protection.
The turning point was protection against non-payment. UK Export Finance insured 80% of the order against that risk, giving the team confidence to accept the contract and deliver its largest export to date. The £100,000 supermarket order became a measurable result in the business’s growth story.
For small brands preparing to export, the case raises a practical question when a big order arrives: how much risk can the business carry? Director Paul Sopher’s explanation was clear. Without that support, the company could not have taken on the risk of accepting its largest order.
Sources
- London popcorn maker pops into Saudi Arabia with government insurance - GOV.UK
- [Withdrawn] Family business exports its gourmet popcorn to 15 markets - Case study - GOV.UK
Some images in this article are generated illustrations.