Foto: Archivo particular

Aparte de comercializar su marca, Shelton’s Coffee, Ximena Shelton es representante de Oma en el Reino Unido.

A coffee firm says it is on track to treble turnover after winning deals to sell into France and Russia.

Shelton Imports, of Kibworth, will also begin supplying its premium Columbian coffees to Harvey Nicholls’ flagship London department store next month.

The company has increased the number of outlets it sells to from 48 to 70 over the past year.

The firm has also supplied thousands of pounds worth of coffee to London department store Harrods in the past 12 months.

The company is now targeting major retail chains, including Waitrose and John Lewis, as it looks to increase sales further.

The business was founded in 2009 by Steven Shelton and his Columbian wife Ximena, whose family has 35 years experience in the coffee industry. It imports its products from the South American country.

Mrs Shelton, the company’s sales and marketing director, said: “We are very happy with how it’s gone but we want to grow further.

“We had 48 stockists around the UK in October 2010, now it’s 70.

“Next year we want to go into more high-end retailers.”

The company has completed a deal with a distributor in the French city of Marseille, which will supply its seven flavours of coffee cubes, designed to keep the coffee fresh. The other deal is with a distributor in St Petersburg, Russia, which will sell the company’s whole range of products, which also includes two ranges of classic Columbian coffee and chocolate-covered coffee beans. Harvey Nicholls will just stock the coffee cubes.

The products are also sold to independent outlets, including delicatessens, farm shops, coffee shops and restaurants. The firm also sells through its own website.

Mrs Shelton said the firm had made a turnover of £20,000 in the year to August 31, 2011. It is targeting £75,000 this year.

She said the company was looking to get into offices and was working with Derby business adviser Spring To Action to help it do this.

Mrs Shelton met Steven at Leicester College when she came to Britain to Network, had helped attract interest from Harrods and other customers.