Tioga Foods

TIOGA FOODS

SUSTAINABLE FROZEN FOODS

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TIOGA FOODS

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Tioga Foods is a new player in the UK frozen food market, importing a range of foods from Turkey and abroad. Murat Bayizit, Managing Director, told Phil Nicholls all about the benefits of frozen foods.

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ioga Foods was founded in May 2021 yet Managing Director Murat Bayizit has almost 20 years’ experience in the frozen food industry in Turkey. Mr Bayizit identified the UK as “the second biggest market for the frozen food industry with £9 billion of turnover.” Tioga will be the bridge between this market and Turkey, which he described as “the main country for the frozen food, production and manufacturing facilities.”

The company is named after the tioga strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) which is grown in Turkey. Mr Bayizit explained that this is the best-known strawberry in the food industry “because of its very rich taste, aroma, and smells.”

Mr Bayizit’s relationship with the UK stretches all the way back to 1994, when he studied for two years in the country. A food engineer with experience in international business, Mr Bayizit is currently President of Turkish Frozen Food Association and the leader of Bursa Frozen Food Cluster.

Tioga contracts with farmers directly, ensuring control of raw materials in terms of both quantity and quality. Such tight connection means less food waste as quality control standards are enforced at the point of production. Tioga works with factories in Turkey

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frozen fruit, vegetables and ready meals are easily defrosted only in the portion sizes required by the cook.

Mr Bayizit also stressed the nutritional benefits of frozen foods.

When ingredients are picked and prepared at the peak of freshness, they have the same nutritional content as raw produce. Indeed, in some cases the freezing process adds to the benefits of the food.

An example of such an increase is frozen red berries, already high in antioxidants, which can have their antioxidant levels doubled or higher once frozen.

Freezing is also a very natural method of food preservation as it requires no additional preservatives. The industry ensures the availability of quality, nutritious fruit and vegetables throughout the year, neatly side-stepping issues of seasonality and the resultant fluctuations of prices.

The coronavirus pandemic brought changes to the frozen food market in the United Kingdom. The restaurant and food service segment contracted as outlets closed in response to the Covid measures. However, the industrial segment continued apace with a focus on ready meals.

Market evolution

and the Balkans (Serbia & Bosnia Herzegovina) to process the food, then imports it into the United Kingdom with a current capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year.

Tioga primarily supplies the industrial and food service segments of the frozen food industry. Mr Bayizit highlighted green, red and yellow peppers as Tioga’s main product, but the available range includes onions, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and more.

For a company proudly named after a strawberry, Tioga naturally imports a range of fruits, with berries such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry topping the list. These fruits end up in ready meals, jams, and assorted toppings for the bakery industry. Tioga also imports black figs and black cherries along with segmented oranges and mandarins.

Think frozen with Tioga Mr Bayizit is an enthusiastic advocate for the myriad of benefits of frozen foods: “Frozen food is the main sector where you can add value onto agricultural products,” he said. He gave as an example a strawberry crop fresh from the farmers in the mountains of Turkey.

By cleaning, freezing and boxing the strawberries, the frozen food industry has doubled the value of the strawberries. The same crop grown organically and freeze-dried has tripled in value.

Furthermore, the frozen industry is a vital player in the battle to prevent food waste. Globally, about a third of food is simply thrown away. Yet; frozen foods minimise the amount discarded, because 92

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The biggest change was in the retail segment, with a large up-tick in retail frozen food as the nation adjusted to travel restrictions.

Mr Bayizit cited a “13% increase in the retail frozen food market” in 2020, alongside a jump in online purchases. Tioga is aiming for a share of this expanding frozen food market following the signature of the UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement in December 2020.

Mr Bayizit expressed concern at the state of the UK frozen food industry following the pandemic-imposed reset in 2020. While the retail segment remained buoyant, it experienced shifting consumer habits and demands. The retail customer is now more aware of sustainability issues, such as reduced packaging, food miles and the phasing out of plastics.

Meanwhile, the food service segment suffered from lockdowns, a lack of drivers and general supply chain issues. The immediate situation in 2022 offers little comfort to the broader frozen food industry. International events such as the war in Ukraine further impact supply chains and commodity prices. Yet, Mr Bayizit remained optimistic for the longer-term outlook for the industry.

Diverse channels Supply chain issues should be a particular concern for the UK when almost half of the country’s food is imported. Mr Bayizit observed that the UK was in a strong geographic position to receive imports by air, sea and land, primarily from the main agricultural exporting countries such as Poland, Portugal and Spain. When the issue of carbon footprint is added to the mix, then closer countries might seem even more appealing.

However, Mr Bayizit warned of the dangers of over-reliance on a few sources of imports. “You cannot source every product from a single country,” he said, “Because every country has different abilities to produce.” Some countries harvest from May to December, while others harvest through the winter months.

“This is why the most important issues these days are the supply chain channels.”

Tioga is positioned to reap the supply benefits of Turkey as regards the UK market. “Turkey has the advantage of being closer to the UK than other tropical countries,” said Mr Bayizit. Therefore, Tioga devel-

Managing Director: Murat Bayizit

oped close links with farmers, to ensure tight controls over their inventory and streamline the supply chain.

Tioga is investing heavily in marketing in its drive to become a leading company in the market. Within the next four years, the company’s plans include a cold store and expanded UK distribution channels. Mr Bayizit encapsulated Tioga’s primary goal “to be a sustainable, reliable and respectful supplier of frozen food in the UK.” While the core of Tioga’s business will be maintaining and growing its links to Turkey, this is but one step in a chain connecting to 20 countries worldwide. Tioga’s plans also include innovating within the frozen food market. The intention is to supply frozen vegan products, frozen herbs, ready-to-eat meals and a range of luxury products in 2022 alone.

An essential component of Tioga’s business model is a warm relationship with both clients and suppliers. Tioga intends to forge strong links with UK clients as it is a British company based in Rickmansworth, London. From here, Mr Bayizit is ideally placed to show UK clients all the benefits of partnership with international suppliers.

Above everything, Mr Bayizit stressed the sustainability credentials of Tioga. He acknowledged price as a key driver of staying competitive in the frozen food market. However, for many customers, issues of sustainability can take priority – even ahead of price.

Topics such as carbon footprint, food waste and the clear origin of foods are key features of the Tioga brand, ensuring it has a promising future in the UK frozen food industry.

“Sustainability is responsibility,” he concluded. n

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