© NOWEL
BAKERIES
“The best products take time” The Polish bakery NOWEL set its sights high in 2020 and, in the midst of the pandemic, invested in a line that transferred the concept of artisan bakery production into a fully automated process.
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Helga Baumfalk: NOWEL’s main products are bread rolls. In the past, you have produced more than a billion bakery products annually. Have you found that the pandemic has changed your sales channels and/ or regional markets? Elżbieta Zajezierska: It would be difficult to identify an area of the economy that has not been affected by the pandemic. COVID-19 has redefined the existing perception of business and made numerous companies leave their comfort zone after years of stabilization. For us, the first wave of the pandemic last year was like a test of our procedures and our readiness to make rapid and profound changes. Working closely together during the crisis has strengthened relationships with our business partners and improved our understanding of our common needs. Michał Zajezierski: What is important to mention, despite the experience of the last year, we not only maintained production, but we also did not slow down the planned investments and expansion of production lines. In just a few weeks, we have created the first consumer brand in almost 100 years, ‘Home Bakery’, which is frozen and packed bakery products for home baking. It was an almost immediate response to consumer concerns, especially important in the first months of the pandemic. We also invested in a new production line for premium stone-baked © NO WE L
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products. In February 2021, the products were launched in Lidl shops all over Poland with the ‘Baked on stone oven’ campaign. We were also able to open up new markets. Meetings took place from our desks, in the company office or from our home offices. Baumfalk: You produce bread rolls and bread with the ‘clean-label’ promise and organic baked goods. Did sales in these two categories increase during 2020? Karolina Zajezierska: Currently, almost all NOWEL products carry the ‘clean label’. In some product ranges, we have taken it a step further and also stopped using enzymes. These baked goods are based on just three to four ingredients. On the one hand, this quality is our trademark, and on the other – increasingly, our consumers expect it, not only in Poland but throughout Europe. Following these trends, each year we are increasing the number of organic products that we offer. However, we predict that despite the growing popularity of this group of products, it will still remain a niche market. This is particularly due to high operational requirements in stores – retail chains must ensure that there is no contamination between organic and non-organic products. Baumfalk: NOWEL is a manufacturer and supplier to retailers, but is not well known to consumers. Did the idea of launching a consumer brand come as a result of the pandemic? Elżbieta Zajezierska: We have had plans for a consumer brand for some time. COVID-19 has given new impetus to our efforts to launch 'Home Bakery'. Will this product continue
