Alfa International Group secure The East India Company franchise for Saudi Arabia

Alfa International Group, are set to expand their portfolio of luxury brands with the signing of The East India Company franchise for Saudi Arabia. The franchise agreement includes The East India Company Fine Foods Retail, In-store food & beverage, stand-alone restaurants, and extends to the supply to luxury hotels and premium fine dining. 

The partnership is a key strategic move for Alfa International, a majority shareholding of Al Khozama Management, strengthening their luxury brand portfolio in both the fine food and hospitality sectors, and directly complementing their established luxury fashion brands. 

Prince Turki, CEO of Alfa International Company commented; “The East India Company (London) is a British brand that is, without a doubt, considered one of the most prestigious brands in the world leading the fine tea industry with a rich and unmatched history of success over the past four centuries. ALFA sees that as a great opportunity to partner with such a great business leader enriching its portfolio and enhancing its market presence and experience introducing the best of the best to the Saudi market. This mega deal will add a lot of value to ALFA International Company".

The roll out is scheduled to commence in January 2017 with the first East India Company store & café located in Harvey Nichols in the Al Faisaliah Tower, a flagship location of Al Khozama Management, in the heart of Riyadh’s central business and retail district. Additional sites are planned over the next three years in Riyadh, Jedhha and Al Khobair.

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director of The East India Company commented; “We are delighted to be partnering with, Alfa International across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We view this market as a key strategic move in our global expansion and one that enables us to significantly increase our brand presence in the region. Anyone who experiences The East India Company feels a fusion of influences, built up across generations, across nations and across cultures. Remarkable connections, made by passionate pioneers - it is with this sentiment that we bring our unique and immersive sensory experience to customers through our retail stores and our new all-day dining concept ‘Since 1600’.”

The East India Company, since its creation in 1600 by Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, has influenced Britain’s dining tables through the introduction of exotic ingredients and flavours, and more fundamentally, changed the world's customs, tastes and ways of thinking. Today, The Company remains a quintessentially British brand with influences from diverse cultures, drawing inspiration from its unique heritage as it continues to explore, creating inspirational tastes crafted from the finest ingredients the world has to offer, to surprise and delight connoisseurs and food lovers.

Diverse, indulgent and luxurious, The East India Company’s Fine Foods includes expertly curated fine and rare teas; specialist coffees; artisan biscuits; exquisite chocolates; flavourful jams; quintessentially British marmalades and specialities. Eminently giftable. Ideally suited for special occasions such as weddings, seasonal celebrations and corporate gifting, as well as personal indulgence. 

The addition of The East India Company’s in-store food & beverage offer allows customers to sit, relax and enjoy a cup of tea of their choosing from the expertly hand-picked and freshly prepared range selection of teas, coffees and beverages along with a light, internationally inspired food menu, whilst socialising with friends.

The agreement also includes The East India Company’s all-day dining concept ‘Since 1600’ - offering customers the opportunity to dine in a relaxed but luxurious interior designed restaurant. An inspiring menu created by an award winning British chef will delight customers with tastes influenced by cultures and traditions from across the globe. 

The East India Company re-started in 2010 with the opening of a flagship store in Mayfair, London by Mr Sanjiv Mehta. Supported by The Mahindra Group, an early stage investor, and more recently by M.A. Yusuff Ali, in 2014 the company has successfully opened seven stores in the UK and is available through premium retail stores across 17 territories. In partnering with Alfa International, a key business within the Al Khozama Group, the company realises its continuing strategic ambition to work with global businesses and selected operators in key markets.

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Notes to Editors: 

About The East India Company;

Since its creation in 1600 by The Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, the influence of The East India Company has been extensive. It influenced Britain’s dining tables through the introduction of tea, coffee, chocolate, and spices, but more fundamentally, it changed the world's tastes, its thinking, and its people. It created new communities, trading places, cities and shaped countries and commercial routes.

The East India Company’s Fine Foods range today includes over 250 teas, rare coffees, artisan biscuits, jams and marmalades, mustards, chocolate bars and boxes, gift sets, luxury hampers and accessories. The East India Company has seven UK stores (Conduit St, Covent Garden–Long Acre, Covent Garden Piazza and Westfield in London, Bluewater-Kent, George Street-Edinburgh and a concession in Harrods, London and at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5) as well as three stores in the Middle East (Kuwait, Qatar, UAE). The Company is also the tea supplier to The Royal Albert Hall, London and is represented globally through Duty Free (including destinations such as Vienna, Frankfurt, Doha and Dubai), major retailers including Selfridges in the UK, Neiman Marcus in the US, Bijenkorf in Amsterdam, David Jones and Thomas Dux in Australia, Shinsaegae in South Korea, Dean & Deluca in Thailand, Takashimaya (Singapore & Japan), and Queen’s Isetan, Mitsukoshi and Meida-ya in Japan. 

Since 1600; the interior designed restaurant draws on the historical association with Queen Elizabeth I’s astrolabe – used by the first ships that set sail under the Royal Charter granted by the queen to explore and trade with the East Indies – as its centre piece in a design that conveys sumptuous elegance and entices customers to let time pass them by whilst they indulge in tantalising fine foods influenced by tastes, cultures and traditions from across the globe. 

Chairman Sanjiv Mehta describes The East India Company as a merchant business with a pioneering spirit, constantly seeking the critical ingredients required for success. He comments, “The East India Company holds limitless opportunities across many products, sectors and countries. We are determined to capitalise on the pedigree and enviable heritage of our brand”.