The taste of quality

What changes with a new owner in the life of a successful meat company?

András Muzsek
CEO
Gallicoop

– We had to find the most effective business solutions in a pandemic situation where neither the number of competitors, nor the quantity of turkey slaughtered became smaller. The time has also come to replace certain Gallicoop products with new ones. Right now our primary objective is expanding our assortment and at the same time positioning our products higher.

What steps are you taking to achieve your goals?

– Gallicoop wishes to strengthen the ties with strategic partners, as we would like to rely on them in launching our new products. Currently the majority of our 21,000 tons of our processed products end up on store shelves as the private label products of retailers, and we would definitely like to change this.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the company’s business results?

– Since the Hungarian turkey sector sells the majority of turkey breast in the HoReCa markets of the EU, the pandemic hit us hard. We started building new sales channels, getting in touch directly with consumers and trying to sell more in Asia. Domestic sales basically stalled.

How do the main trends of the new decade influence your innovation work?

– In production we are trying to make our ecological footprint smaller in every way possible. For instance we have installed solar panels on our abattoirs and built our own biological wastewater treatment facility.

Why should consumers choose turkey meat and Gallicoop products?

– Turkey meat fits into the current health trend. We are adapting to the rapid pace of life by developing convenience and free-from products. (x)