Magazine: Festive desserts: Economising is out of the question!

Gergely Németh
commercial director
Chef Market Food Service
Company

In the Christmas period traditional Hungarian cakes, pastries and desserts dominate in the market of festive desserts – informed Gergely Németh, Chef Market Food Service Company’s commercial director. In line with the latest trends, lactose-, gluten- and sugar-free versions of the most popular festive desserts are also available. Before Christmas demand by HoReCa units increases for bakery and confectionery ingredients: Minimum 40 percent of the company’s poppy seed, walnut and butter sales are realised in the 3 months before Christmas.

Zsófia Besenyei
product manager
Dr. Oetker Magyarország

We learned from Zsófia Besenyei, product manager of Dr. Oetker Magyarország Élelmiszer Kft. that the company’s products make baking easier for families. They not only offer a large selection of products but creative ideas too. Baking powder, Bourbon vanilla sugar, vanilla in various formats and grated lemon zest are all essential in making festive desserts. Demand for these grows at the end of the year.

Henrietta Csicselyné Biró
sales director
Thymos Hungária

Henrietta Csicselyné Biró, sales director of Thymos Hungária Kft. spoke to us about the spices in their portfolio that are necessary for making salty and sweet food, and drinks. The company’s experience is that the end-of-year season is getting longer. This is also the time of the year when sales of cocoa powders, bakery and confectionery ingredients, additives and food colour products multiply.

Nikolett Barcsai
marketing manager
Gilan Trading

Nikolett Barcsai, Gilan Trading Kft.’s marketing manager (they distribute Kalifa products) revealed that in the last months of the year ground walnuts with sugar, ground poppy seeds, raisins and grated coconuts are their most popular products. Prunes, dried apricots, figs, dates and cranberries are ending up in more and more shopping baskets, while from various nuts almonds, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds sell well.

Mr Németh: The health trends influence the festive dessert market too, but the market share of these products is still below 10 percent. There is a premiumisation process taking place, especially in the HoReCa sector – the prestige of confectioneries and restaurants simply doesn’t make it possible for them to economise on ingredients. Ms Besenyei: Today when everyone is so busy, there is little time for baking, so shoppers are looking for products that make quick dessert preparation possible. In the Christmas period consumers tend to choose high-quality products. Ms Barcsai: Most of the company’s products easily fit into stricter diets too, as the majority of them don’t contain flavour enhancers, additives or lactose. Ms Csicselyné Biró: Reacting to the growing number of people living with some kind of food intolerance, many of the company’s products are free from sodium glutamate and preservatives; they are available in resealable packaging. In the Christmas season so-called Big Pack variants are very popular.

In the Christmas period Chef Market Food Service Company helps partners with promotions, for instance reducing the prices of Christmas menu ingredients. Dr. Oetker regularly comes out with a recipe book at this time of the year, distributed with women’s and culinary magazines. Thymos Hungária Kft. supports retailer partners with online campaigns, and uses displays and tasting sessions in stores to promote the products; gifts are also given away if shoppers buy the company’s products. Gilan Trading Kft. focuses on secondary product placement in shops when launching new products in November and December. In hyper- and supermarkets pallet and island displaying – with Christmas decoration – play an important role in the high season. //