Loyalty to heritage brands The ethnic rice sector is radically different from the mainstream market. Brands dominate ­ about 80/90% share ­ and brand loyalty is extremely high as ethnic communities prefer to buy traditional products from their own countries. They also buy huge quantities, 20kg sacks being a popular size. Retailers wanting to target ethnic communities need a very clear picture of the preferences of their local catchment area. Veetee is one of the largest suppliers to the ethnic market, with a strong presence in the Indian, Chinese and Afro-Caribbean sectors. Basmati is its biggest variety which is produced by its Indian factory under its main brand for the Indian sector. Its Pakistan factory produces the Badshah brand for the Pakistani community. Veetee also supplies the Chinese with American long grain and the Afro-Caribbean with American long grain easy cook. The company claims to be the fastest growing rice brand and supplies over 30% of the multiples' own label rice. Westmill Foods has three leading ethnic brands. Tolly Boy American long grain and easy cook is its number one brand and serves the Bengali, Chinese and Afro-Caribbean communities with different packaging. Sizes range from 1kg to 45kg, with 20kg and 45kg hessian sacks being the most popular. Its 5kg and 10kg packs have a new design, deep turquoise being the standard on long grain and vibrant orange on the easy cook. Marketing manager Rakesh Oberoi says the new packaging is aimed at second and third generation Bengalis. "They are more contemporary in their outlook, have smaller families, so don't want the 45kg packs bought by the traditional community." Guru is its basmati brand for the Indian community. It uses rice aged for a year in the company's Indian warehouses before being milled and packed in the UK. Sizes go up to 20kg. Watan is its basmati brand for the Pakistani community. Oberoi says imports of Pakistani rice have grown 64% year on year. Map Trading supplies Pakistani grown premium White Pearl basmati to the Pakistani community through Asian stores. In Yorkshire it outsells all other Asian basmati brands, claims sales and marketing manager GS Lal. White Pearl is listed by Safeway where sales have been "promising", says Lal, and are poised to grow with the introduction of block bottom packaging. Asda in Bradford has also started to list White Pearl in 5kg, 10kg and 20kg sizes. The firm wants to expand into the mainstream market. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}