MEET THE MANUFACTURER
Healthy snacking proving lucrative for companies like Gourmet Food The purchase of premium cracker manufacturer Gourmet Food by global snacking company Mondelez is an indicator of the current growth in the sector. Adam McCleery reports.
H
ealthy snacking products have experienced strong growth in recent years as consumers move towards more balanced diets, which has had a knock-on effect of seeing strong investment in the sector. Gourmet Food, manufacturers of Olina’s Bakehouse gourmet and artisan crackers, is an example of the current and future potential the healthy snacking space has after being bought by multi-national food giants, Mondelez, in May of 2021. “Gourmet Food is a cracker that has done a great job being ranged in both Coles and Woolworths,” said vice president of sales, Toby Smith. “The business identified that growth in the entertaining space was a trend that would continue to grow into the future. Working with the retailers gave us that insight and aligned very much with the retailers. That premium entertaining space was something to be further unlocked, and therefore we went out and sourced the manufacturing assets that we have today.” It was in 2015 when Gourmet Food made the decision to step up its manufacturing of premium-style crackers with the intention of helping to reinvigorate the category, while aiming to set benchmarks around quality and flavour. “We have been really successful with – and something we check in the marketplace – strong relationships with customers, Coles and Woolworths in particular,” said Smith. While now under the Mondelez banner, it was a calculated decision to not upset a winning business model and instead Gourmet Food will continue to run how it always has and will remain autonomous in many ways.
Vice president of sales, Toby Smith, says home entertaining as a result of the pandemic helped drive growth in the healthy snacking space. “The agility of Gourmet Food, the innovation pipeline for example, has been phenomenal,” said Smith. “The company has stepped into some new places very quickly and probably more nimbly than a big multinational would.” That was another key selling point for the company and one of its market offerings, Smith said – the ability to adapt quickly and continually innovate products to match everchanging consumer trends.
20 Food&Beverage Industry News | February 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au
To create the capability for continued innovation required a manufacturing plant that was fit for purpose. Smart investment while building the factory also helped to ensure the correct capital purchases were made with one eye toward future growth. “The asset is state-of-the-art because the quality of product, ingredients and so forth, require a specific type of asset, which the company invested in,” he said. “It’s
also built to grow significantly; you can clearly see the road map to growth and, if not more, the assets have ensured we can do that. “The baking line is state of the art and there is still room to invest, and we currently are. Gourmet Food invested in doubling the size of the business and it was bought for growth; it was never a synergy play for Mondelez. “My involvement has helped keep the business separate so it can fulfil
