Magazine: Black is beatiful

Consumer needs have changed very much recently and this has also translated into numbers: both volume and value sales increased, and a growing number of coffee drinkers started buying quality products. Although the majority of consumers are still price-sensitive, many are willing to pay more for special coffees. People are also becoming more knowledgeable about coffee drinking – informed Balázs Szabó, Horeca manager of Mocca Negra Zrt.

Bence Víg, the owner of Progast Kft. is of the opinion that coffee consumption is growing dynamically at world level, and the trend is also positive but growth is a bit slower in Hungary. Tibor Tóth, sales manager of Pellini Caffé reckons that Hungarian coffee drinkers are becoming more sophisticated and they like to learn about what is in their cup and where did it come from. He thinks it is a good sign that many consumers are now buying whole bean coffee instead of ground coffee. Bozsik Zsolt, operations director of CoffeeLike Kft. told Trade magazin that more and more people are preferring quality coffee and the culture of coffee consumption is definitely improving in Hungary.

Enikő Boglárka Tóth, channel brand manager of the Nestlé Professional business line added that consumer taste is going in the direction of drinking coffee with milk. More and more people drink their coffee on the go, this is why the company’s Nescafé Alegria machines now also have a To Go function. Kinga Kamenyiczki, junior key account manager with Tchibo spoke to us about the restructuring of the coffee market that occurred in the last two years. The number of single-portion, especially capsule coffee drinkers increased dynamically.

Zoltán Vidák, field sales manager of Tchibo forecasts further growth in the capsule coffee market in 2016. Mr Szabó also thinks that the capsule market is getting stronger and he sees a weakening in the pod segment. Mr Tóth opines that both the capsule and the pod segment are developing, and in his view Pellini was the fastest premium manufacturer to react to this trend. Mr Víg called attention to the fact that capsule coffee machines are ideal for places where fewer cups are drunk. Mr Bozsik believes it is more and more important for consumers to drink coffee in a sustainable fashion and underlined that capsule products can’t be recycled.

As for the Horeca segment, Mr Szabó thinks quality matters the most; not only the quality of the coffee, but also that of the equipment and the accessories used. Mr Bozsik told us that it is very important for bar and restaurant owners to have uninterrupted product supply and fast technical support.Mr Tóth explained that because Pellini not only provide partners with top coffee but also with professional machines, accessories and barista training.

Mr Víg informed that Progast is the Hungarian distributor and maintenance service provider of WMF coffee machines. In addition to fully automatic machines, the company now also has a new-generation model that combines automatic coffee makers with lever machines. Mr Bozsik spoke about traditional coffee maker manufacturers adding an ‘autosteamer’ function to their machines: by using these no special barista skills are needed to prepare milk foam of the perfect texture and temperature.

Ms Tóth talked to us about Nescafé Milano products. They are now made using the MRC technology, enhanced with finely ground beans for a richer taste. Ms Kamenyiczki explained that Tchibo Cafissimo have extra features such as the patented three-stage pressure pumping system.