Eurocas

SUCCESS RECIPE FOR A

First established in 1994 as a solution to regional import challenges, Eurocas is the vision of Adelina and Stelian Tigu. Now, the company produces an exceptional range of baking ingredients, including hugely popular dairy-free options. Product Manager Silviu Tigu discussed the company’s latest product releases and gave insight into why Eurocas is taking the vegan sector by storm. Report by Imogen Ward.

Family is a crucial ingredient at Eurocas. “There is no doubt that family values are the core of what we do, and our Eurocas family – the people who work with us – are the company’s biggest asset,” Product Manager Silviu Tigu said. “Without them we would never have been able to grow from our humble three person beginnings to where we are today – an innovator with multiple production subsidiaries and export partners in over 40 countries.”

In response to high import charges in Romania during the ‘90s, Adelina and Stelian Tigu began producing margarine for Romanian bakeries and professional

businesses. With the help of a kind Italian investor named Luigi Mussida (who provided machinery from Italy, and knowledge from three generations of Italian margarine production), the company expanded its capacity and diversified into non-dairy cream production.

“The risk-taking and kindness is part of our DNA and was a result of Luigi and my father sharing the same family values,” said Mr Tigu. “Without it, we would not be here today. Unfortunately, Luigi passed away, but his contribution, and eventually the partnership we formed with his children, had a huge influence on our growth.

We will be eternally grateful for the help, guidance and friendship that Luigi and his family offered.”

A pinch of respect

That family-centricity is still prevalent in all elements of Eurocas. The company endeavours to create a warm and supportive environment for its staff; to really encourage their passion for baking.

“From the very beginning, my parents treated others with respect and kindness,” Mr Tigu said. “This mentality is what best sums us up. When we speak to prospective employees, we like to emphasise that they are coming to work with us, not for us. We’re all on the same team, and we carry this across to our business partnerships as well. We are delighted with how many people have resonated with these values over the years.”

Eurocas has a dedicated Research and Development department that is living proof of the company’s commitment to caring. This team of innovative minds has adapted some of Eurocas’ most popular products to meet the taste preferences of different countries. “I’m a big fan of our R&D department,” said Mr Tigu. “They have been at the forefront of our greatest accomplishments and are crucial in the transition to new markets. When we introduced Eurocas to the UK, we were really invested in marketing our non-dairy whipping cream. It was a product we had made for years, which left us quite confident, but to our surprise, the product

did not fly off the shelves like we anticipated. Other markets favoured the high-whipped volume of the cream and its neutral taste.

“However, our UK customers preferred a thicker cream, with less volume and a different taste. At this point we turned to ou r colleagues and asked them to create a new recipe for a product better suited for the UK market. After a year of research and development, Europea was born, and it is now our best-selling product in the UK.”

Two cups of love

Europea is a premium vegetable-based non-dairy cream, featuring a strong dairy flavour and a creamy texture. The cream is uniquely produced to closely resemble its dairy counterpart, making it hard to

differentiate from the real deal. “I know that every company says their product is the best,” said Mr Tigu, “but I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that Europea is the best non-dairy cream made in Europe.”

With packaging provided by Tetra Pak –a Swedish multinational food packaging and processing company – customers can be assured that the great taste of Europea will arrive safely in premium quality cartons.

Innovation reigns supreme at Eurocas, as the R&D department continues to adapt recipes. Another triumph was the successful variation of Dulcinea non-dairy cream. The addition of an authentic bourbon vanilla flavouring created another layer for an already flawless product. “To my knowledge, our Dulcinea Vanilla is the only

non-dairy cream with a natural bourbon vanilla flavouring,” said Mr Tigu. “It’s unique.” Delicious ingredients are not the only thing on offer. Eurocas also provides a private labelling service, which is offered with constant high quality, low minimum order thresholds and competitive pricing.

“Very few businesses offer a private label service, quite surprisingly,” Mr Tigu explained. “There is also a lot of inconsis -

tency amongst the ones that do, because they don’t fully understand the concept of the private label. I am often hearing about businesses that impose restrictions on where companies can sell their own brand, which is madness.

“We offer our customers a true private label. They can expect confidentiality from us and full support. It’s their brand, and we have no right to control what they do with

it. I think some companies just don’t want to have to go through the process of creating a label, planning special productions and keeping track of everything. But we’re extremely happy to do it, and we always make sure to remain incredibly flexible for all our customers.”

A dash of inspiration

Whilst inspiring thousands of bakers worldwide, Eurocas also motivated innovation within its own production lines. With the roaring success of its vegan products, the R&D department saw an opportunity to develop a vegan egg-wash alternative. A balanced long shelf-life alternative to egg, Golden Glow is the perfect partner for any recipe.

“We were already experienced with vegetable ingredients, so Golden Glow made sense. Most bakery products are brushed with egg-wash before baking to give them an attractive shine. Not only does our egg-wash alternative remove microbial risks, but it also offers a more impressive shine than traditional eggs. The greatest benefit is its neutral taste, which makes it perfect for both savoury and sweet recipes.”

Golden Glow is currently presented in one litre UHT Tetra Pak packaging. This product is attractive and practical; it prevents your baked goods from sticking to the packaging when you pack them for delivery.

Eurocas offers a range of semi-finished goods as well, including macaron shells, sponge rolls and mini tart shells. Eurocas is planning on extending and diversifying this range due to its increasing demand. In the meantime, the company plans to continue expanding its production capabilities.

“ We would love to further increase our capacity,” Mr Tigu concluded. “I am an optimist; I can’t change who I am – the glass will always be half full. I have complete faith that we will achieve our goals, because we have a great team here at Eurocas. It is an absolute pleasure to work with everyone here.

“My parents created something special, and I am now in the privileged position to leave my imprint on the company and try and make it a little better every day. This opportunity truly is a gift. n

Eurocas Product Manager, Silviu Tigu