Hard times

Norbert Káhn
commercial director
Gyermelyi

Norbert Káhn, Gyermelyi Zrt.’s commercial director: “In March-April demand for pasta soared like during the pandemic-induced panic buying. In this period the focus was on securing product supply.” Cereal prices are expected to increase further and this will entail higher product prices too. Probably pasta makers will see their value sales grow, but it is very likely that some of them won’t be able to manage this extreme situation – this can even create new market opportunities for the surviving ones.

Successful durum innovations and focusing on stability

Hungarian consumers have always liked 4- and 8-egg pastas the most. However, Mr Káhn believes that the sharp increase in food prices might generate a little sales growth for lower-priced no-egg pastas. Last year Gyermelyi launched several new products, including interesting durum pasta formats that are likely to be successful in the international market too. Plus the company also rolled out a rough-surface, premium durum pasta range that is made with egg.

The dominance of egg noodles is not threatened by pasta products without eggs

Brigitta Soós
sales manager
Soós Tészta

Brigitta Soós, Soós Tészta Kft.’s sales manager: “As the Hungarian pasta market is rather conservative, currently we aren’t developing new products, but improving our packaging division instead, so that we can serve partner needs better.” In the current market climate the company prioritises stability. They don’t switch to a new supplier if it offers a lower price than the existing one, what matters most is constant good quality. This strategy pays off, as thanks to this it becomes very important for partners to be able to supply Soós Tészta with as much ingredient as they need even in times like this.

A further increase in prices seems to be inevitable

Less carbohydrate, more fibre

Dr. Dzodzoglu Sziderisz
kereskedelmi igazgató
Famíliatészta

Dr Sziderisz Dzodzoglu, Famíliatészta Kft.’s director of sales and business development: “Our distribution is getting bigger as large hypermarkets keep listing our products, but our old and new retailer partners in small towns and villages are just as important. We also manufacture private label pastas, for both Hungarian and international retailers. As for Famíliatészta’s branded products, we are trying to earn the trust of Hungarian consumers with a special, healthier pasta range.” Eight-egg home-made type pastas and 4-egg side dish pastas generate the majority of volume sales. Just recently the company rolled out the special flour mix, 4-egg Pasta del Futuro Light range in Penne, Fusilli, Piombi and Tagliatelle formats. All of them contain minimum 50% less carbohydrate, and have 6 times more fibre and 200% more protein than the classic 4-egg products of the company, plus they are 100% soy-free.

Krisztina Kovácsné Nagy
advertising and
marketing manager
Famíliatészta

Advertising and marketing manager Krisztina Kovácsné Nagy added that the modern portfolio will expand further, as the Famíliatészta team loves to create new things.

Popular products taken a step further and reform ideas

Róbert Rácz
sales and
marketing director
Izsáki Házitészta

Róbert Rácz, Izsáki Házitészta Kft.’s sales and marketing director: “We reinterpreted lasagne and came out with a wheat flour, 4-egg version a few years ago. Many traditional Izsáki Házitészta pastas underwent the same reform process, for instance a few years ago our pinched noodles became available in hot variant, and from this year this product can be found in shops in a new hot, Erős Pista version. The company promotes the new variant by distributing 50,000 packs of 50g samples in the designated retail channels.

László Sajcz
head of sales
Gergely Food