Interview with the company

IT’S NOW GIULIA PASQUALI, SALES MANAGER AT BIA TO TALK WITH PL MAGAZINE.

Bia: CousCous is becoming increasingly popular, even beyond the borders of the Mediterranean

The company, leader in the organic segment, became part of the Bonifiche Ferraresi last summer, moving from its old ownership to the pillar of Italian agriculture.

by Maria Teresa Giannini

Couscous, a very ancient product with Maghrebi origins and Sicilian by adoption, is now well known and appreciated all over the world. In Italy, Bia is the specialist of this versatile dish of durum wheat semolina. Located in Argenta, close to Ferrara, it operates in more than 50 countries, especially thanks to production for different private labels, Ho.Re.Ca. collaborations and customized productions. With its three factories, which employ 75 people and have an annual production of 54,000 tons, Bia achieved a turnover of 33 million euro in 2021, +10% compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The company is a leader in the organic couscous segment and, last summer, entered the Bonifiche Ferraresi ‘family’, moving from its old ownership (95% to private equity firm Alto Partners and the remaining 5% to IT company Gescad) to the pillar of Italian agriculture. But how can couscous be defined from a commodity point of view? And what is the future for Bia after having joined BF? We talked about it with Giulia Pasquali, Sales Manager at Bia.

Do Mediterranean countries continue to take on the lion’s share of the demand, or has the center of gravity of couscous consumption moved elsewhere? Mediterranean countries continue to consume the greatest volumes, especially France and Spain, along with Sicily, a region in which couscous is a traditional dish thanks to the melting pot of Arab culture and Greek-Latin peoples. However, for the past few years, the center of gravity has been moving towards central and northern Europe, with consumption steadily increasing in Germany (especially organic), the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries.

50 countries

75

employees in 3 plants turnover 33 mln/€

(+10% compared to 2019): )

70%

of turnover realized with large-scale distribution

24

million

of boxes produced

50%

of production destined for PL

Players of the durum wheat semolina market agree to define their market as being a ‘mature’ one, predisposed to be transformed into ‘premium’ in Italy - can the same be said for couscous? Yes, this isn’t considered to be an ethnic product anymore, and has become a basic ingredient for any type of cuisine. That is the reason we created a Premium line of the supply chain with 100% Italian wheat, which is already widely popular in the Italian large-scale distribution.

On the 19th July, you were taken over by Bonifiche Ferraresi: what are your prospects for the future thanks to this new management? The official takeover will be in October. Bia’s management won’t change, but we hope new and important domestic and international opportunities will arise for all the companies of the group. In one year, you produce over 24 million cases: what’s the share amount destined for largescale distribution and how much is destined for Italian brands specifically? About 70% is destined for large-scale distribution, among which 25% is destined for Italian large-scale distribution. The same goes for its value.

Compared to the total production, how much does PL account for you? About 50%.

When did you start to invest in PLs as a possible channel for your production? Overall, has it paid off for you over the years? From the beginning, we have believed in the development of PLs. In fact, for 20 years, all the major PLs have relied on us for their PL couscous. This segment has paid off over the years, thanks also to our flexibility and capacity to customize our supply. We were able to meet all our clients’ needs in terms of products, packaging and recipes.

How’s the PL couscous market? Demand is constantly growing: we work with all the major brands of Italian and international PLs and, until a few years ago, each of them only had one couscous reference. In the last few years, however, many PLs have added other PLs, moving from whole-grain to organic and gluten-free products. And there’s more; we continue to receive many requests from new PLs entering the national and international market for the first time.

The market for flour and semolina, during the worst period of the pandemic, recorded peaks (in value and volume) that we haven’t seen for a while: was it the same for couscous specifically? Yes, our couscous is made from durum wheat semolina and other pulses and cereals (such as corn, barley, spelt, lentils, chickpeas and buckwheat) that form the basis of our diet. Not only does it have very simple and fast preparation, it’s also a very versatile product, suitable for many cooking experiments (both sweet and savory).

Your couscous cooks in 5 minutes instead of 15-20: to what clientele is this information aimed at? Is it meant for the big-city customers, who usually don’t have much time for cooking? Our couscous is ready in 5 minutes with hot water and in 15-20 minutes with cold water. We have specifically designed a cooking recipe that can meet both the "speed" requirements typical of many people's daily lives, as well as environmental sustainability needs, since cold water preparation involves no energy consumption.

On your website it reads: “Thanks to our research team and experience, we are able to develop custom products from any raw material. We also realize the packaging, from the graphic design to supply”. How does your team plan to face the paper and cardboard shortage as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war since March 2022, as reported by Assografici? We believe that the main problem is to face the uncontrolled price increase of all the materials that make up the product (paper, cardboard, plastic, but especially gas and electricity). We have a long-lasting relationship with our suppliers, who are partners that support us for shared company development. Together with them, we’ll put in place everything needed to continue to provide the high-quality service that we’ve always guaranteed to our customers.l