The taste of success JOWA

THE TASTE OF SUCCESS

The largest bakery in Switzerland, JOWA is increasing its profile across Europe as it brings its range of high quality food products that includes its famous Huttwiler gluten-free brand. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to a senior representative to find out more.

Producing ‘Swiss quality food’ since 1931, Switzerland’s largest bakery chain JOWA offers a range of fresh bread, pasta and cakes. JOWA has 90 in-house bakeries all over Switzerland, based in MIGROS stores, the country’s biggest food retailer, and exports across western Europe.

Industry Europe spoke to a senior representative to learn more about how JOWA is steadily increasing both its market share and its range of products in order to meet the ever-changing demands of its customers and their end-users. He said, “We currently have an annual turnover of CHF 792.8 million net with our principal market in Switzerland; every second person in Switzerland is consuming a JOWA product! As we continue to grow outside of our domestic area, we are enjoying success exporting to Germany, Italy, Austria, France and the UK. These countries will continue to be our focus as we have

identified further potential for our products, especially as we are perfectly in tune with the trends that are affecting the food sectors in which we operate.”

The company’s headquarters are located in Volketswil, where it also has some of its production facilities. The company has eight regional bakeries in Switzerland as well as one pasta factory, one production site for glutenfree pasta and one durum wheat mill. There are also two bakeries outside Switzerland.

Investment in gluten-free production

The company’s most recent major investment has seen it convert an old plant in Huttwil. Now a state-of-the-art production facility dedicated to making gluten-free products, JOWA is clear that this represents an important development. The representative explained, “The rebuilding of the factory in Huttwil is one of the biggest investments JOWA has ever made. It highlights the major role we see our Huttwiler gluten-free products having in our future portfolio.”

The well-known Huttwiler gluten-free brand is a real feather in JOWA’s cap and thanks to Huttwiler the company is now the biggest producer of gluten-free products in Switzerland. The facility has been redeveloped to ensure that it operates according to the highest safety and hygiene regulations, and it has been labelled as one of the safest locations for the production of gluten-free products.

The representative continued, “Our production line is exemplary; a contamination with other products is simply not possible. An outstanding feature of our Huttwiler gluten-free products is that there is not only the absence of gluten, but they are also free from nuts, wheat and lactose. In what can be a very difficult area of food production from a consumer’s point of view, knowing that Huttwiler gluten-free products are guaranteed clean and uncontaminated from

potentially life-threatening ingredients gives real peace of mind.”

JOWA’s core products are its fresh bread, dried pasta, cakes and pastries, and frozen and ready-to-bake (or ‘bake-off’) products. It also produces long-life bread and dough. Around 88 per cent of its turnover is derived from all these areas, which can all be bought through its in-house Migros bakeries in Switzerland, with its export and food service and wholesale business accounting for the remainder.

A wider audience

In 2011, JOWA launched its products on the German market, bringing its ‘delice & friends’ brand of appetisers and finger food products, as well as the Huttwiler glutenfree brand, to a wider European audience. The representative added, “Every country in which we are active has its own preferences and it is imperative that we take these into consideration when we are exporting and developing new markets. For example, in Italy our fresh dough ‘Tipo Swiss Premium’ is very popular. While we are keen to continue to increase our presence in new markets, our strategic focus is to establish a firm market share in our existing regions before we move onto new regions. We do see that there are opportunities to enter new European markets in the future but the most important thing at the moment is to have a strong base in our current markets before further expansion.”

JOWA’s expansion plans are therefore centred on organically building its market share in current locations, with export growth opportunities assessed on an ongoing basis. The expansion of its product portfolio is similarly open-minded, with the company dedicated to meeting the changing trends and tastes of its end users. This is a key motivator behind its growing gluten-free range. The representative added, “Huttwiler gluten-free serves a niche market that is increasingly important and will continue to be so. Already around one per cent of the population has coeliac disease, with five per cent having special dietary needs – and these numbers are rising. By developing delicious products that are free from particular ingredients for people with allergies and food intolerances we are both expanding our business and helping people to enjoy food.” n