Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Sweden
Andrew Ely
A taste of sweet success 2017 sees Swedish bakery Almondy celebrate its 35th anniversary, having earned itself an army of fans who cannot get enough of its gluten-free cakes. Scan Magazine caught up with Andrew Ely, managing director of Almondy UK, to find out the secret to Almondy’s sweet success. By Gemma Buckley-Roberts | Photos: Almondy
Almondy’s story is an unusual one. The Almondy bakery was set up back in 1982 by two young Swedish men, Kent and Lennart, who had a dream of building a boat and sailing around the world – until they discovered a recipe from 1890 for an ‘irresistible’ cake. The pair never looked back and today, Almondy’s cakes are exported to more than 45 countries, where they are enjoyed by 106 million people every year through retail and out-of-home.
but on a global scale. “It’s the combination of our traditional crunchy almond-base cakes – made using a secret recipe from the 1800s and topped with today’s most well-loved confectionery brands, such as Daim bar and Toblerone. People can’t get enough of them; we celebrated Almondy Daim Cake’s 15th birthday last year, and it still remains our best-selling cake in every market worldwide, which is a remarkable feat.”
From its humble beginnings, when the first cakes were baked in a pizza oven, the bakery has gone from strength to strength without ever losing sight of its roots. “We’re very proud of our Swedish heritage. I think it’s what makes Almondy so special!” Ely says of Almondy’s success, not only in Sweden
Almondy’s cakes are also gluten-free. Does Ely think special diets have played a part in its success? “Absolutely! The beauty of Almondy is that aside from being a high-quality cake made from natural ingredients, it’s gluten-free, as well as being suitable for kosher and halal diets.” The special diets market is showing
58 | Issue 97 | February 2017
no signs of slowing down, with a growing number of people buying free-from as a general lifestyle choice, and not just for health reasons. “Off the back of this, more and more people are discovering Almondy, which is now an established brand in the gluten-free community as nearly half of those with an intolerance have heard of us,” says Ely. The 35th year is shaping up to be a busy and exciting one. Along with the freefrom segment growing, the ‘hygge’ trend has ignited an interest in all things Scandinavian, including Nordic food and ‘fika’. “Our Swedish heritage, unique story and secret recipe means that we’ve captured people’s imaginations, so demand for our cakes continues to grow,” says Ely. “But we’re not a company to rest on our laurels – the bakery is working on new cakes, so 2017 is going to be an exciting year. All I can say is watch this space!” For more information, please visit: www.almondy.com