9 minute read
Cover Story Barry Callebaut
Marketing Director, Sofia Popova, Barry Callebaut VEGAN FREEDOM
Kennedy’s discovered ‘Plant Craft’ from Barry Callebaut recently at iSM and spoke with Marketing Director, Sofia Popova, about this new development which, within the vegan and plant-based trends, has come at exactly the right time…
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As part of a response to the growing demand for more plant-based, vegan and dairy-free products, Barry Callebaut introduced an indulgent range called ‘Plant Craft’ at this year’s iSM in Cologne. Angus Kennedy and Digital Editor, Leon Kennedy, spoke with Barry Callebaut’s Marketing Director, Sofia Popova about this launch and what makes it such a unique option in the confectionery sector.
Angus Kennedy: Thank you for speaking with us today Sofia – could you tell us more about this new development of ‘Plant Craft?’
Sofia Popova: Of course - Plant Craft is the name of our range which has ingredients from chocolate to nuts, cocoa, to decorations and fillings which enable brands to create really indulgent, fun ways to explore their potential. It’s a whole range of products and the star of the range is our Dairy-Free M_lk Chocolate, that has taste, texture and flavour of milk chocolate we all love without the milk.
Leon Kennedy: But you still call it Milk Chocolate?
SP: We call it Milk without the ‘I’ – we leave a space there where the ‘I’ from milk is supposed to be, suggesting it is no longer needed. You can make out the word ‘milk’ without the ‘I’ and you can definitely produce chocolate without milk. AK: I see, very clever. Based on this launch and going into new territory with milk-free alternatives and plant-based options - do you think vegans have been dealt a bad hand in the past? SP: Yes, I think that overall you either have chocolates on the market with flavours and enhancers that cannot legally be passed as chocolate or you have chocolates that have aadded ingredients such as hazelnuts, almonds or oats – all of them give an extra flavour to it but you end up losing the known milk chocolate flavour. But our Dairy-Free M_lk Chocolate is really creamy and milky and how normal chocolate would usually taste – only difference is there is no milk.
AK: Interesting – so, why did you decide to launch this?
SP: Well, simply because young consumers are looking more and more for things that are plant-based and we wanted to respond to that. Centennials and millennials are our main focus – centennials are 23 and younger and millennials are now into their 30’s and after running some studies recently, we found out that close to 60% of them across Europe are actively introducing at least one plant-based day into their weekly diet. Whereas only 10% of ‘baby boomers’ are doing this.
AK: So, could that mean in another 25 years, 60% of the population in Europe will be moving over to plantbased diets complete?
SP: Well yes, there will at least be more flexitarians. What’s important for the centennials and millennials is not just that the food is good for the planet – they want it to be good for them whilst being tasty as well. They want it all! With this milk chocolate, it’s high in fibre and is a good source of Vitamin-E, so we’ve aimed for it to taste great whilst also giving it an extra health-
benefit. AK: Brilliant, and how’s the response been so far at ISM?
SP: Interestingly, everyone has a similar reaction to you! They try it and say, ‘it’s actually nice!?’ When you hear it’s called ‘Plant-based chocolate’ – you have a preconceived idea that it’s going to taste too bitter or like a vegetable, but I’ve noticed how pleasantly surprised people have been when they try this. You don’t expect this creaminess from a plant-based product at all.
LK: So, if plant-based means chocolate based on plants could ‘normal’ chocolate could be called ‘animal-based’ because it contains milk? Do you think ‘plant-based’ is becoming the new word for ‘vegan?’
SP: Indeed. I think ‘plant-based’ is definitely becoming more of a choice and a positive way to allow consumers into their products without feeling forced into making a statement that they are officially ‘vegan.’ It’s interesting – another study that Global Data ran stated that the number of new products launched with ‘vegan’ claims on them doubled between 2015 and 2019. They also investigated the attitudes towards claims like ‘vegan,’ ‘dairy-free,’ and ‘plant-based’ and what you notice is that although there are a lot of vegan claims, ‘plant-based’ is the most positively received claim by consumers.
AK: I think I agree there – there’s no need to classify people by what they eat, and I think the label ‘plant-based’ really works. So, how much do you know about the vegan or lactose-free markets – how big are they and what predictions do you have?
SP: Well depending on each market segment, it really varies a lot. We have looked into how the evolution looks for the confectionery and in particular, the ice cream market which for the dairy-free and vegan industry is continuing to show significant market growth, and this can accelerate when you have bigger brands stepping in.
For a long time, plant-based and dairy-free products were coming out in niche cereal bars but now you have confectionery giants like Galaxy and Magnum tapping into the vegan market. Galaxy’s new vegan chocolate range combines chocolate with nuts and Magnum’s vegan ice creams that launched last year have been received very well by the public. I think when you have two big, iconic names in the industry – it really steers the trend into the right direction and suddenly it’s massive.
AK: There really has been a ‘vegan boom’ in recent years hasn’t there!?
SP: There really has! And this is exactly why it felt like the right time to launch Plant Craft this year. We have also made the announcement that in 2021, one of our factories will be completely dedicated to dairy-free production in Norderstedt, Germany.
AK: Wow – that’s fantastic! What inspired Barry Callebaut to make this happen?
SP: Yes, we’re very excited about it! Well, today milk chocolate easily takes up 2/3 of the global chocolate market, and there is accelerating demand for dairy-free and plant-based. Moreover, there is an extra element: if you have vegan products produced in the same environment as non-vegan products, then you have to put a disclaimer on the back; ‘may contain traces of milk.’ People want complete transparency when it comes to what they eat, and we are committed to it, without disclaimers.
AK: This is such good news! I think it’s brilliant that if every company does their bit, it can really make a huge impact. I wanted to ask about Ruby Chocolate as that came out only a year ago at ISM and yet there’s been a huge rise in Ruby products since. How have you been finding the response?
SP: Yes, it has all been a very exciting experience since then! When we showcased it last year, there were 11 brands around the fair who were also launching their own Ruby products, but between then and now there are now over 100 brands in Europe alone that have launched Ruby chocolate. The first global brand was Kit Kat but now Magnum, first global ice cream brand is launching their own products in the UK and the rollout in Europe will follow for sure.
LK: So, do you think that Plant Craft will have this similar domino effect that Ruby has had in the industry?
SP: Well I think you can notice it here already – there are a lot of customers who are talking about ‘plant-based’ products which is a coincidence but also not a coincidence! To compare Plant Craft to Ruby is tricky to say at this point as they both have a very different ethos. Plant Craft is a fantastic innovation on trends and is a definite response to the market whereas Ruby is a breakthrough – no one could imagine it was possible, and it’s been so well-received.
AK: How do you classify or measure the success of Ruby Chocolate?
SP: So, for Ruby, it’s a bit of a new territory because of course, it’s a breakthrough innovation that appeared 80 years after the invention of white chocolate which is fantastic. I think we can already evaluate the success by the fact that we were able to get over 100 brands and more on board with it within a space of a year. It’s starting to shape a new movement, but it’s only the beginning – Ruby has so much potential.
It’s a unique experience and without it, the world of chocolate looks very mono-tone and a little dull. With Ruby in the mix, it’s a whole different story and the future is still very bright – there is more to come.
AK: I’m sure there is – it’s great to see Ruby launched officially around the UK throughout various products and we can’t wait to see that with the new Plant Craft as well. When will it be hitting the market officially?
SP: Plant Craft will be available to our customers over the course of this year – to try a sample and see how they can work with it.
AK: Fantastic stuff – well thank you so much Sonia, it was a pleasure to speak with you as always!
SP: You are very welcome, Angus. Do try and stop by the stand to try the Ruby desserts created by our chefs.
AK: I certainly will, and maybe with a little glass of champagne as well!
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