Julian Graves non-food push backed by Baugur

Nuts-to-nougat retailer Julian Graves, bought last week by Icelandic investor Baugur, aims to take a bite of the non-food market with the introduction of a kitchen and cookware offer.

Baugur paid£14.2 million for the 200-strong chain and is backing plans to add another 100 stores. Julian Graves founder and chief executive Nick Shutts retained a 20 per cent stake following the deal.

New non-food category manager Jacinda Pinkney has put together a comprehensive range, featuring chopping boards, woks, saucepans and tableware. The 70-line offer includes brands such Prestige and Addis, and has appeared already in 125 stores. It will enter new, larger footprint stores.

Pinkney said the non-food offer is targeted at female shoppers aged 50 to 60 years old and 'into baking'. 'Our core business is snacks and baking ingredients and by moving into non food we are extending our offering,' she said.

The retailer intends to introduce the Julian Graves Experience format to London and other UK cities. The modern look, which features four zones - Caribbean, Hawaiian, Indian and Eastern - has been tested in Edinburgh and Kidderminster, Worcestershire. A third was scheduled to open at Hemel Hempstead on Wednesday.

A Baugur spokesman said it was 'buying' into the management team led by Shutts and would aid expansion plans already in place.