Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A SUPERB image of a Bahraini pearl diver has pride of place on the cover of a packet of crisps to signify a Bahrain-based investment bank’s investment in one of the world’s favourite snack manufacturers.
The black and white photograph comes from the collection of images under the copyright of Khalifa Shaheen Digital Images (KSDi), considered to be the nation’s unofficial archivists.
“KSDi were commissioned by Investcorp Bank to provide it with images from our extensive archive for promotional packets of Tyrrells crisps,” explained managing director Mr Shaheen, a veteran photographer who once starred in front of the cameras in a Disney TV production featuring Bahrain.
The company now has around 10,000 rights-managed images online at www.ksdigallery.com for download or simply to view, dating from 1905 up to the present day.
Nader Shaheen, general manager, said: “People love nostalgia and black and white images in particular hold a special place in the heart. We have helped stage exhibitions with our images but I cannot recall one ever being used on a product such as this.”
Investcorp Bank were given a selection to choose from and when it came to the crunch decided on the one featuring a Bahraini pearl diver taken in the late-1950s. Known as ghais in Arabic, these men used to dive without any breathing equipment to collect pearl oysters from the seabed.
The image fitted perfectly on the cover of a packet of Tyrells hand-cooked crisps, lightly sea-salted, of course.
Tyrrells is an English-based manufacturer of potato crisps, also known as chips in some countries.
Founded in 2002 by farmer Will Chase, the potatoes were originally all grown on his farm near Leominster, Herefordshire. The potatoes, with the skin always left on, were cooked in small batches and packed close to the farm where they were produced. Tyrrells claimed the rich red soil on the Leominster farm made for a better crisp.
Within several years of its creation, Tyrrells expanded its market into Europe and later into the US. Tyrrells has received numerous awards for the taste and quality of its crisps and produces a number of different types including Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Chives, Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper, Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, Worcestershire Sauce & Sundried Tomato.
In July 2013, the firm was sold for £100 million (BD60 million) to luxury brands investor Investcorp, which has offices in New York and London as well as Bahrain, and is a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products, serving high-net-worth private and institutional clients.
Its Bahrain office is the regional centre from which the placement and relationship management team serves GCC investors and from where its Gulf corporate investment team operates. It also houses a majority of its administrative, finance and corporate support staff.
Investcorp currently has approximately $12 billion in invested assets under management across its three asset classes.
