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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Sacrebleu! French brewers use algae to make blue beer

    Sacrebleu! French brewers use algae to make blue beer

    A French brewer has started using algae with a naturally-occurring pigment to turn their beer blue.

    The beer, with the brand name “Line”, is the result of a tie-up between a firm that wants to popularise the algae as a dietary supplement, and a nearby craft brewery that was looking for a way to make its beverages more distinctive.

    The beer is selling well, said Sebastien Verbeke, an employee of Hoppy Urban Brew, which makes the drink. “It’s getting an enormous amount of interest and curiosity on the part of the public,” he said.

    The blue tint comes from spirulina, an algae that is grown in basins by a company called Etika Spirulina in northern France. The component of the spirulina that gives the blue colour, called phycocyanin, is then added to the beer during the brewing process.

    Tasting a freshly produced bottle of the beer, brewery employee Mathilde Vanmansart described it as hoppy, light, and with fruity notes, while the only evidence of the added algae was the distinctive color.

    Xavier Delannoy, whose farm provides the spirulina, said after several test batches, the brewery had found a blend that appealed to customers.

    He said 1,500 bottles of the blue beer were sold between October and December last year, and the brewery is now preparing to ramp up production to meet demand.

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  • Food, beverage businesses remain open through Tet

    Food, beverage businesses remain open through Tet

    Food and beverage establishments are working through Tet or abbreviating their holidays to make up for a year of poor business due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Crab restaurant chain Vua Cua is delivering through the holidays, and some of its outlets closed for two days out of the nine.

    “I believe that many people will stay in HCMC during the holiday as they refrain from traveling,” CEO Doan Thi Anh said, adding that last year sales during the holidays were up 300 percent from normal days.

    Tet, the Lunar New Year, is by far Vietnam’s most important festival, and most restaurants and other business establishments close for at least a week.

    But this year many are either not closing or are opening early to cash in on an opportunity to earn some money after a desperate year.

    Japanese chain Mirico reopened three of its six outlets in HCMC on Wednesday.

    “We hope the number of customers during Tet this year (starting January 29) will reach the same as last year so that we can make up for months of closure,” manager Luu Hoang Huy said.

    Two restaurants in the Quan Bui chain in Thu Duc City are also open for seven days of the nine-day holidays.

    “I think many foreigners won’t return to their country this year and we anticipate a lot of customers during the holidays,” a media representative of the chain said.

    For the first time since its establishment in 2018 Lagom Café in District 3 will remain open during most of the Tet holidays.

    The decision was based her workers’ request, owner Do Thi Ly Na explained. They preferred to work saying the months off due to social distancing in the city were enough for them, she added.

    In December revenues from food and accommodation rose by nearly 58 percent from November.

    “Most well-known downtown restaurants have been operating at full capacity and even had to turn away some customers,” Le Nguyen Minh Man, owner of Hong Kong Town restaurant in District 1, said.

    Business seems set to be “vibrant” in the first quarter, he said.

    However, his restaurant would close through the holiday since his workers had been stuck in HCMC for a year and wanted to return home, he said.

    Buying materials is challenging since suppliers are closed, and restaurants need to prepare ahead, he said.

    Paying workers triple or even five times their normal salary is key to ensuring good service during Tet, he added.

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  • Vegan food platform VEats launches in Sydney

    Vegan food platform VEats launches in Sydney

    Founded by Australian duo Lara Young and Susan McCarthy, VEats is a new plant-based platform focussed on helping consumers looking for convenient plant-based options in the country. They describe the digital solution as a “first-of-its-kind” for the market, enabling users to explore all businesses with animal-free food options within a designated city. Whilst a user finds a restaurant they want to go to on the site, tables can be booked at restaurants, food can be ordered for delivery and takeaways can be queued.

    The Australian-based VEats platform is currently being piloted, with a Sydney-first rollout. Coordinating the launch to happen as part of Veganuary, the founding team is thinking on an international scale. U.K. expansion is in the planning stage, with Brighton and London as first targets. Bamford Capital is on board as an equity partner and business advisor for domestic and global ambitions.

    Young and McCarthy have more than three decades of combined business and marketing expertise. The two have worked together before, they created a joint digital marketing agency. VEats is being launched alongside as something of a passion project, particularly for Young.

    “Having grown up as a meat-eater all my life, it never crossed my mind that there was another way of living,” she explained in a press statement. “At the age of 36 I was overweight, overworked, managing being a wife, a mother of three, running two businesses, and everything else life had to throw at me. Food was always there to comfort me.

    “Being a massive foodie, I had to learn about a whole new way of eating. The journey wasn’t easy and I spent hours and days researching restaurants, checking menus, calling ahead to get them to accommodate me, and trying to veganise food through other delivery platforms. I knew that if it was hard for me, it would be hard for anyone trying to make the transition to plant-based eating. That’s when I had the idea for VEats.”

    Young and McCarthy say they have 600 businesses listed on the VEats platform already, spanning the breadth of Sydney. Included are fully plant-based companies, as well as any offering three or more animal-free food options. The two are confident that as Veganuary comes to a close, more than 50 directory inclusions will offer table booking and delivery options. Sydney was selected for the pilot launch due to its plethora of vegan hubs. Newtown has become synonymous with plant-based eating, with its ‘vegan mile’ reportedly growing by the week.

    Confirmed restaurant partners include KoshariKorner, Gigi Pizzeria and recently-opened Flave. Meal delivery service Just Add Vegan has linked up as well. In a coup for the founders, Australia’s leading online ordering platform Order Up! has come on board. It will give directory-listed businesses cost-effective access to ordering and pick-up functionalities. “We are proud to be partnering with the team at VEats to help make plant-based eating easy and accessible in your everyday life,” Clive Thorpe, CCO of Order Up! said in a statement.

    Australia is making strides to become a leading producer of animal-free products. Wide Open Agriculture is a perfect example of a domestic company seeking to disrupt the status quo. In this case, the dairy industry, which is the country’s fourth largest sector. Having bagged $20 million at the end of last year to ramp up production of plant milk, it represents a significant consumer mindset shift.

    Fellow Australian brand ProForm Foods received in the region of $5 million last year, from Harvest Road. With new facilities completed, expansion of a Sydney location is planned, alongside global distribution.

    It’s not all positive news, however. Australia’s meat industry has taken umbrage at the rise in popularity of animal-free foods. It claims that consumers are confused by packaging and are accidentally buying and eating plant-based meats. Supported by a survey paid for by various meat, seafood and poultry companies.

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  • Vietnamese coffee industry game changer

    Vietnamese coffee industry game changer

    King Coffee has a presence in 120 countries and is still on its way to expand further on the world map. Expo is a 170-year old event that takes place every five years, gathering businesspeople from more than 190 countries. This expo showcases all the remarkable events of a country’s past, present, and future. This is an extremely great opportunity for King Coffee to reach more than 190 countries at once.

    Appearing at Expo 2020 Dubai, King Coffee has represented the coffee industry and Vietnam’s agriculture. We have cooperated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize activities to promote Vietnamese coffee to the world for six months (October 2021 – March 2022), especially the event of Vietnam National Day (Dec. 30, 2021) and Vietnam Coffee Week (Jan. 1, 2022).

    As a major coffee brand, we participated in coffee-related activities during this event. All visitors really enjoyed our coffee, which impressed them by quality.

    When we introduced Vietnamese coffee during Vietnam Coffee Week, visitors were surprised by egg coffee, Ede coffee, iced-milk coffee… They enjoyed learning how to use coffee filters, and discovering the philosophy of softness, lightness, sophistication to create a perfect cup of coffee compared to using compact espresso machines.

    The exhibition is already halfway through and we have left our mark and accomplished our targets.

    -How has King Coffee connected Vietnamese businesses to Dubai Gateway?

    At Expo Dubai, King Coffee aims to promote coffee culture and development strategies for the coffee industry, and at the same time, widely inform businesses in other industries in Vietnam, who also consider this a great opportunity to go global.

    We worked with Viettravel to engage most associations in all industries, supporting them to participate in this expo. Up to now, hundreds of Vietnamese businesses have gathered here. Expo Dubai makes it easy to set up an online exhibition channel, allowing businesses that are unable to attend offline events due to Covid-19 to participate, and promote their images. Meanwhile, we can follow all the events on social media channels and grab opportunities from Expo.

    Since October 2021, we have done a wonderful job of connecting businesses in Dubai, and at the same time, promote our country. Dubai is an iconic city with a significant impact in 22 Arab countries. By having a presence in Dubai, businesses would enjoy many opportunities to access this market.Expo also organizes a National Day for participating countries. If a country has a potential industry, enterprises in that country might be invited to gather on National Day to find collaboration opportunities.

    First autobiography

    What excites you the most at Expo 2020 Dubai?

    I have a clear goal in everything I do. When I decided to attend Expo 2020 Dubai, I thought about what would make King Coffee stand out and shine there. I started writing the book “The Queen of King Coffee” from the beginning of 2021, in order to release it at Expo Dubai. Without travel or business trips during the pandemic, I had more time for the book.

    While publications regarding the Vietnam War are widely available, English-language books about Vietnamese culture, people, and business opportunities in Vietnam are scarce. Therefore, I decided to launch a book to introduce Vietnamese coffee and the country’s coffee culture to the world. This event drew the attention of the international media. Expo Dubai organizers also promoted this book on their media channels, reaching 192 countries.

    The book was released on Dec. 29, 2021. More than 100 newspapers around the world have reported on King Coffee and the book. I am very happy to tell the story of Vietnamese coffee. I also published the book on Amazon, and it has received positive feedback from readers. When someone places an order, Amazon prints the book and delivers it to the customer.

    As planned, the book will be translated into several languages, first in Arabic to reach 22 Arab countries. When I released the book in Dubai, local businesspeople wanted me to take part in many activities to talk to women, young people about starting a business, not just the book. They want to translate the book into Arabic to make it reach more people.

    They are impressed with the image of women running startups, not only in the coffee sector but also other industries. The book offers them a lot of information. In fact, women are being encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and obtain freedom in doing business. I expect my book to motivate them to be more confident.

    Will the book be available in Vietnamese?

    The book is expected to be released in March in Vietnam, followed by Vietnamese and English versions in June 7 in the U.S. Many readers in the U.S. told me they were looking forward to the premiere.

    The Vietnamese book is not a translated version from English but a different one. The book is a guide for startups and women to balance life and business, as well as female leaders’ responsibilities and aspirations for their country.

    If the English book represents the world’s view of Vietnam, the Vietnamese version describes the viewpoint of a coffee business leader.

    I was a business leader for more than 20 years, but I didn’t let people get to know me. This was good for my family before, but not so good for me when something went wrong.What do you expect from this book?

    I think a female leader should balance her reputation and personal life to proactively play the right role, which will strengthen the business.

    Everyone may know my important decisions to establish the Trung Nguyen and G7 brands, the journey to make them successful not only in the country but also around the world.

    For me, every challenge can be dealt with. When you know how to overcome it, you can strengthen your position.

    Do you have any ideas for your next book?

    Because I am a coffee aficionado, the next book might be “The Master of Coffee” by a coffee specialist. In order to promote Vietnamese coffee, I also have to do many other things. King Coffee will have a chain of coffee shops around the world, and its products will be available in supermarkets all over the world. I want to introduce the very unique and different ideas and culture of Vietnamese coffee to the world. Surely it will be worthy of world recognition.

    World record for Vietnamese Robusta

    Why are you so devoted to coffee?

    I was born and raised in a coffee region. Since I was a child, I witnessed the coffee price drop after bountiful crops, and vice versa. Coffee prices were very low and precarious. The farmers had no idea what the outside world was like. In the coffee ecosystem or global value chain, the farmer segment generated very small value.

    At that time, in my knowledge, there were many well-known coffee companies in countries that did not grow coffee like Sweden, the U.S… I always wondered why they could do it but we couldn’t?

    During 1975–1986, coffee was considered a luxury commodity. I clearly saw that coffee was in great demand, so why not make coffee popular? While coffee had so many benefits, like boosting creativity and concentration, efficiency at work, why didn’t we give coffee a chance to live?

    More than 20 years ago, we hardly saw coffee in supermarkets, but today coffee occupies six shelves at Coopmart. Visitors to Vietnam give priority to buying Vietnamese coffee to bring home because of its good quality. That is a good foundation to promote Vietnamese coffee, as well as King Coffee, in the world market.

    In October 2021, The World Records Union recognized Vietnam as the largest producer and exporter of Robusta coffee. How did this affect Vietnamese coffee?

    It is a historic milestone because Vietnam’s coffee industry had endured several hundred years to achieve a world record.

    I believe Vietnamese coffee has all the conditions to achieve a world record. Although facing many difficulties in persuading associations or state agencies to consider coffee a national asset, I am still determined to push for the World Records Union to recognize Vietnam as a the largest Robusta coffee producer and exporter in terms of output and productivity, along with heritages of the unique and distinctive art of brewing (Ede coffee, racquet coffee, filter coffee), the art of blending and enjoying diverse, creative and unique coffee through drinks and dishes (egg coffee, iced milk coffee…). When I announced this record at Expo Dubai, all the visitors burst into applause and paid special attention to King Coffee.

    It is worth mentioning the World Records Union has recognized specially prepared Vietnamese coffees like iced milk, egg coffee, and Ede coffee. Here, we are mixing different types of coffee together to create a more tasty, unique cup of coffee, all without the use of flavorings and chemicals. The recognition of the art of blending is useful for coffee makers to improve their products.

    In addition, I see many other opportunities to spread awareness and responsibility among the coffee business community, including using reputable branded products. That paves a way to create sustainable development for the coffee industry.

    What are your expectations for the development of Vietnamese coffee in 2022?

    Despite Covid-19, the coffee industry still grew in 2021. Although coffee shops had to close, the products were still delivered to the door. People usually consumed 1-2 cups of coffee per day, but 3-4 glasses during the pandemic. The global coffee industry grew by 4 percent last year, also in Vietnam.

    I think Vietnam needs to quickly develop strategies for the coffee industry, to take advantage pf huge opportunities in the next five years with the law of supply and demand. If we don’t, other countries will do better, and surpass us. This is a very good time for Vietnam to reflect, prepare a solid strategy to create a game changer for the whole coffee industry.

    What do you usually think during the Tet holiday?

    Leaders need to pay more attention to their employees at any time, especially in this pandemic period. They should be concerned about how to keep employees safe, fully vaccinated, and unaffacted by the pandemic. Motivation from the leader also helps employees have a more positive mindset, thereby maintaining operations.

    Tet is a time that brings family together. I miss my father very much, who passed away more than 20 years ago. My Tet grew warmer with him. The street around my house would be lit by fireworks. Everyone drank champagne, congratulated each other. He taught me to understand myself, the value of living life. Dad also taught me little things. I miss my father very much and miss Tet holidays with him. Now my family often tells stories about him at gatherings. When all members are united, the family always feels warm and happy.

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  • McDonald’s faces massive court claim over ‘shameful’ worker treatment

    McDonald’s faces massive court claim over ‘shameful’ worker treatment

    Trade union SDA has lodged a multimillion claim in the Federal Court against McDonald’s Australia seeking compensation for about 900 current and former employees the union alleges have been denied paid rest breaks and misled about their rights.

    The action covers more than 110 restaurants across Australia directly owned and operated by the fast-food company and follows eight previous Federal Court claims lodged by the SDA against McDonald’s franchise operators.

    The claim, lodged in South Australia, is currently on behalf of 338 current and former McDonald’s staff employed across 92 restaurants, but the union is actively talking to others and has opened a website to recruit people who have worked for the company during the past six years, to join the action.

    SDA national secretary, Gerard Dwyer describes the case as the biggest of its kind in Australian history, and “a groundbreaking moment for some of the most vulnerable workers across the country”.

    “The fact that one of the largest employers of young Australians (on junior rates of pay) has been deliberately and systematically denying teenagers their breaks is astonishing. It takes a lot of courage to openly stand up and speak out against their employer and the SDA is proud to stand with them in ensuring these workers get what they’re owed.”

    He said the action has the potential to impact thousands of workers Australia-wide and lead to millions of dollars of compensation payments if successful.

    The union wants affected workers to be paid compensation for working through their breaks and for the company to be penalised by the court for breaching the Fair Work Act.

    It alleges that along with concealing employees’ meal break entitlements, many store managers told workers they could have a free soft drink in lieu of a paid rest break and that they didn’t receive the breaks as they could go to the toilet or have a drink whenever they needed to. The SDA says the law provides for a 10-minute break for any staff member who works a shift of four hours or more.

    “McDonald’s have been feeding crew members a cock and bull story about their break entitlements for too long,” said SDA South Australian branch secretary, Josh Peak.

    “Fast food restaurants are busy, hot and the work is exhausting – it’s shameful to think young workers have been denied their rightful breaks and told they don’t exist. Paid rest and drink breaks aren’t optional, they’re a right for all fast-food workers,” he said.

    “It shouldn’t have to take nine Federal Court claims for McDonald’s to clean up their act.”

  • Snickers unveils Creamy Peanut Butter bar in Australia

    Snickers unveils Creamy Peanut Butter bar in Australia

    Snickers has released its limited-edition Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter bar in Australia for the first time.

    The Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter bar is made with real peanut butter, silky smooth caramel and fresh ground peanuts, enrobed in the rich Snickers chocolate.

    Mars Wrigley Australia Marketing Director Ben Hill says the variation has been a smash hit overseas, and he’s excited for Australians to finally get their hands on the product.

    “We know how much our customers love the classic Snickers bar, with its satisfying layers of nougat, caramel, and the signature peanut crunch,” he says.

    “Now, thanks to this innovation in texture, our fans can get Snickers satisfaction in both crunchy and smooth – something that is sure to delight peanut butter fans of all kinds.”

    Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter is available in a 36g twin pack for RRP $2 from leading retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Metcash, 7 Eleven, Coles Express, BP, Ampol, ALDI and Big W.

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  • Restaurant Brands sales exceed $1 billion, despite Covid-19 impact

    Restaurant Brands sales exceed $1 billion, despite Covid-19 impact

    Restaurant Brands NZ Limited reported a 19.7% increase in sales for the year ended 31 December 2021, making total sales of NZ$1.06 billion in 2021. While same-store deals stayed strong in the period, nearly NZ$100 million of the rise in annual sales came from the extra 8 months of trading from the California acquisition.

    The Group released sales numbers for Q4 FY21 on Thursday, reporting total sales of NZ$284 million for the period (+5.5% on pcp). All regions posted positive same-store growth despite the present COVID-19 impact.

    The Group faced COVID-19 impact strongly despite several government curbs, challenging trading atmosphere and altering consumer habits. Subsequently, RBD’s annual sales numbers surpassed NZ$1 billion, setting a robust footing for further growth in sales in all its 4 regions.

    RBD-owned store numbers increased by 11 in Q4 compared to the same period in the previous year to 359. This was majorly due to the purchase of 5 KFC stores in Sydney in early 2021as well as the present construction of new Taco Bell shops in Australia and NZ.

    Restaurant Brands is due to announce its year-end trading results on 28 February 2022.

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  • Nestlé pledges to improve sustainable farming practices, end child labour

    Nestlé pledges to improve sustainable farming practices, end child labour

    Nestlé today announced a new plan to tackle child labor risks in cocoa production. At the center is an innovative income accelerator program, which aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa-farming families, while also advancing regenerative agriculture practices and gender equality. A cash incentive will be paid directly to cocoa-farming households for certain activities such as enrollment of children in school and pruning among several others. Nestlé’s new plan also supports the company’s work to transform its global sourcing of cocoa to achieve full traceability and segregation for its cocoa products. As Nestlé continues to expand its cocoa sustainability efforts, the company plans to invest a total of CHF 1.3 billion by 2030, more than tripling its current annual investment.

    The income accelerator program (pdf, 11Mb) offers a novel approach to help support farmers and their families in their transition to more sustainable cocoa farming. The incentives will encourage behaviors and agricultural practices that are designed to steadily build social and economic resilience over time. With Nestlé’s new approach, cocoa-farming families will now be rewarded not only for the quantity and quality of cocoa beans they produce but also for the benefits they provide to the environment and local communities. These incentives are on top of the premium introduced by the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that Nestlé pays and the premiums Nestlé offers for certified cocoa. This cocoa is independently audited against the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, promoting the social, economic and environmental well-being of farmers and local communities.

    Cocoa-farming communities face immense challenges, including widespread rural poverty, increasing climate risks and a lack of access to financial services and basic infrastructure like water, health care and education. These complex factors contribute to the risk of child labor on family farms. Together with partners, including governments, and building on a promising pilot program, Nestlé’s new initiative sharpens focus on these root causes of child labor.

    “Our goal is to have an additional tangible, positive impact on a growing number of cocoa-farming families, especially in areas where poverty is widespread and resources are scarce, and to help close the living income gap they face over time,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO. “Building on our longstanding efforts to source cocoa sustainably, we will continue to help children go to school, empower women, improve farming methods and facilitate financial resources. We believe that, together with governments, NGOs and others in the cocoa industry, we can help improve the lives of cocoa-farming families and give children the chance to learn and grow in the safe and healthy environment they deserve.”

    Creating cash incentives to grow income substantially

    The program rewards practices that increase crop productivity and help secure additional sources of income, which aim to close the gap to living income and help protect children. By engaging in these practices, families can additionally earn up to CHF 500 annually for the first two years of the program. The higher incentive at the start will help accelerate the implementation of good agricultural practices to build future impact. This incentive will then be leveled at CHF 250 thereafter as the program starts delivering tangible results. It is not paid based on the volume of cocoa sold and is inclusive to provide smaller farmers meaningful support, leaving no one behind. In a departure from normal practice, the program also offers financial incentives for the farmer’s spouse, who is typically responsible for household expenses and childcare. By dividing the payments between the farmer and the spouse, the program helps empower women and improve gender equality. Examples of practices that Nestlé is incentivizing include:

    • School enrollment for all children in the household ages 6-16;
    • Implementing good agricultural practices, such as pruning, which increase crop productivity;
    • Performing agroforestry activities to increase climate resilience, like planting shade trees;
    • Generating diversified incomes, for example through growing other crops, raising livestock such as chickens, beekeeping or processing other products like cassava.

    Payments will be delivered via a secure mobile service transfer that will ensure traceability directly from Nestlé suppliers to the intended recipient. Because cash flow throughout the year is often a challenge, cash incentives will be distributed when they are needed most. Based on feedback from farmers, this includes the back-to-school period and before the rainy season. Third parties, including International Cocoa Initiative and Rainforest Alliance, will work with Nestlé to monitor participation.

    Helping farmers implement sustainable, scalable practices

    Building on the positive results of an initial pilot in 2020 with 1,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, in 2022 Nestlé will expand the program to include 10,000 families in the country, before extending it to Ghana in 2024. It will then assess the results of that test phase and adapt where necessary, before moving to reach all cocoa-farming families in its global cocoa supply chain by 2030.

    Nestlé will help ensure farmers have the resources, training and social and financial structures to make lasting changes by:

    • Enhancing the existing monitoring and remediation system to help identify, prevent and address child labor risk and increase school enrollment;
    • Offering families training through the Gender Action Learning System and on household financial planning and entrepreneurship;
    • Organizing and training local groups to perform pruning and other beneficial agricultural tasks within a given cooperative each year;
    • Providing income diversification opportunities for farmers and their spouses;
    • Helping set up Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), focused on women, to encourage savings and provide loans for small business opportunities.

    Feedback and input from farmers and farmer cooperatives, as well as ongoing data collection and evaluation by third parties, will be used to inform, modify and improve the program as it scales up to more communities. In addition, independent oversight will be provided by a multistakeholder strategic advisory committee managed by IDH-The Sustainable Trade Initiative, a leading foundation that works to improve the sustainability of international supply chains.

    Tracing all cocoa from origin to factory

    As part of the program, Nestlé will transform the global sourcing of cocoa to achieve full traceability and segregation of its cocoa products from origin to factory. This new effort will help transform the supply chain of Nestlé and the broader industry. Nestlé will introduce a range of products with cocoa sourced from this innovative program, offering consumers the opportunity to support the improvement of the families’ livelihoods and the protection of children. This will start with a selection of KitKat products in 2023.

    “Our actions can help catalyze change on an important topic that is so close to our hearts. They will drive accountability and transparency across the industry, at a time when customers, employees and communities increasingly expect companies to deliver on their shared values,” said Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President and Head of Operations. “By increasing traceability at scale, we will help build consumer trust in our products and respond to the growing demand for responsibly and sustainably sourced cocoa.”

    Today’s announcement builds on Nestle’s longstanding efforts to tackle child labor risks in cocoa production. The company has invested in sustainability through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan since 2009. Through a robust monitoring and remediation system (pdf, 3Mb) instituted since 2012, 149,443 children have been assisted to protect them against the risk of child labor, and 53

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  • Brewer Sabeco profits fall to lowest level since Thai acquisition

    Brewer Sabeco profits fall to lowest level since Thai acquisition

    Vietnam’s largest brewer Sabeco said after-tax profit fell by over VND1 trillion (US$443 million) last year to VND3.93 trillion, the lowest since it was acquired by a Thai billionaire.
    Its revenues were VND26.37 trillion, a decline of 6 percent. Thaibev owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi acquired the company in late 2017.

    The firm blamed the Covid-19 outbreaks and subsequent restrictions in many provinces and cities across the country for the decline in performance.

    The firm has undistributed profits of over VND13.66 trillion.

    Vietnamese consumed 1.3 liters of beer per capita in 2020, according to the General Statistics Office. The country has a population of over 98.5 million.

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  • Starbucks launches Coffee Experience Center in Bali, Indonesia

    Starbucks launches Coffee Experience Center in Bali, Indonesia

    Today, Starbucks celebrates the journey of coffee from seed-to-cup by opening its largest destination in Southeast Asia – the Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary. The one-of-a-kind Coffee Sanctuary demonstrates Starbucks Indonesia’s coffee leadership in partnership with licensee PT Sari Coffee Indonesia Limited, building upon 16 years of innovation in design, customer experience, and community impact. The store pays tribute to the important role that Indonesia, the fourth largest Arabica coffee growing region in the world, plays in bringing Starbucks customers the highest quality coffees, including the popular single-origin coffee from Sumatra. Sumatra coffee has been a staple offering at Starbucks since 1971.

    “We began sourcing Indonesian coffees more than four decades ago and have always been struck by the sense of community and care for the coffee journey at every step,” said Kevin Johnson, ceo, Starbucks Coffee Company. “The Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary amplifies our passion for the coffee journey, our ongoing commitment to Indonesia’s rich coffee culture, and our tireless pursuit of fostering moments of connection between our partners and customers. This is Starbucks at its best, and we are proud to open the doors of this unique experience in one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic markets.”

    Designed as a coffee sanctuary, the expansive 20,000 square foot store beautifully highlights local craftsmanship and culture alongside premium coffee in this one-of-a-kind coffee experience, a sort of “origin-centered version” of the Roasteries, igniting all five senses. Visitors enter through an Arabica coffee farm, try their hand at coffee bean de-pulping and washing during harvest season, dry and rake green coffee beans, visit budding seedlings in the nursery, take in the store’s locally-inspired design featuring traditional Balinese craft and Indonesian art, and enjoy the more than 100 Dewata-exclusive handcrafted beverages, food and merchandise, including the Lavender Latte.

    “Bali has an envied reputation as one of Asia’s top travel destinations and Indonesia is one of coffee’s most extraordinary coffee origin regions, so we’re excited to invite customers here to ignite their senses and explore the seed-to-cup coffee journey at this unique Coffee Sanctuary,” said Anthony Cottan, managing director, Starbucks Indonesia, at PT Sari Coffee Indonesia Limited.  “We’re very pleased to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Starbucks and PT Sari Coffee Indonesia with this truly one-of-a-kind Starbucks store, inspired by and filled with the finest examples of Indonesian art, design, and craftsmanship.”

    Located in Bali’s up-and-coming premium retail district on Sunset Road, the Coffee Sanctuary provides a carefully curated series of interactive experiences.

    As customers enter, they’ll be greeted at the concierge reception and then guided through a working, 1,000 square foot coffee tree farm, the size of a typical Indonesian farm. Customers will continue their journey through contemporary Balinese landscaping, passing coffee plants and a de-pulping station before trying their hand at washing, drying and raking green coffee beans. Inside, the expansive Reserve bar offers customers an intimate experience to taste Starbucks Reserve small-lot coffees, while the core bar offers Starbucks signature core beverages.

    Located on the second floor is the seedling nursery, a greenhouse canopied by panes of glass to create an open-air experience. Here, customers can touch the first stages of the seed-to-cup journey, as well as deepen their understanding of the art of tending to coffee plants alongside a local Balinese farmer. In the adjoining tasting room, customers’ tastebuds will come alive as they enjoy coffee as coffee quality professionals do, without a filter – simply coffee and water – to draw out the flavors that set each cup apart.

    For those looking for more, visitors can engage with an interactive video wall and hear how coffee is planted, processed, roasted, shipped, and brewed into a delicious cup of espresso. On the second floor, a dedicated media room features two synchronized video walls, showcasing the work of the Starbucks Farmer Support Center (FSC) in Sumatra and agronomist, Dr. Surip Mawardi’s, work with Indonesian coffee farmers.

    The Sanctuary was designed as an homage to Indonesia’s rich culture and coffee heritage. The store’s expansive interior was inspired by traditional Balinese houses with free-flowing, connected rooms that promote discovery from one space to the next.

    The store’s interior was designed in partnership with local craftspeople and artists with one goal: tell the story of coffee in Indonesia. This is brought to life by a wood carving depicting the country’s six coffee-growing regions’ local culture and architecture. A two-story mural in the courtyard pays tribute to local farmers who carefully nurture and protect the beans each step of their journey to Starbucks.

    On the main floor, Starbucks partners (employees) welcome customers to the 13-meter teak Reserve bar, drawing inspiration from Bali’s terraced rural landscapes, where customers can taste some of Starbucks rarest coffee offerings. Across the store, eyes are drawn to the living wall filled with flora from the region, situated behind the core bar designed to remind customers of Bali’s ocean waves which are replicated on the layered red-brick exterior façade.

    Starbucks is dedicated to working with farmers in Indonesia to ethically and sustainably bring high-quality Indonesian coffee to the world, and today, the company is the largest buyer of Indonesian arabica coffee.

    In 2015, Starbucks opened the Farmer Support Center in Berastagi, North Sumatra where Starbucks agronomists led by Dr. Mawardi, conduct research to develop disease-resistant coffee varietals in an effort to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product through the Sustainable Coffee Challenge. The Sumatra FSC is one of nine globally, including China, which offers open-source agronomy assistance and support for regional coffee farmers to improve the productivity and sustainability of their coffee trees.

    In a combined effort, Starbucks Indonesia has donated more than 330,000 coffee seedlings, along with technical assistance, to smallholder farmers to-date. Through locally driven initiatives to support coffee tree replanting, Starbucks commits to donating 100,000 seedlings annually in partnership with the FSC.

    Since 2006, The Starbucks Foundation has provided more than $4 million dollars to support farming communities and promote education, water, sanitation and health (WASH) programs across Indonesia. In 2018, The Foundation provided grants to Lutheran World Relief to support women-led community health and hygiene programs for 2,100 households in Sumatran coffee-producing villages over the next three years and to CARE to support economic empowerment for women tea workers and community WASH programs in West Java over the next two years.

    Today, Starbucks Indonesia delivers the Starbucks Experience across 370 stores where nearly 4,500 partners proudly wear the green apron. The Dewata Coffee Sanctuary marks the first Starbucks Reserve Bar in Bali and its tenth in Indonesia as Starbucks continues to elevate the coffee journey for customers across the market.

  • Vietnam steps up dragon fruit exports to Australia

    Vietnam steps up dragon fruit exports to Australia

    Large volumes of dragon fruit are being exported to Australia though it is currently the harvest season there for the fruit.

    Twenty-eight tons were shipped to Western Australia and South Australia last week by 4 Ways Fresh and Australia Flower, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia.

    Australia Flower is set to export another 14 tons this week.

    Several retailers like Dai Phat and MCQ are selling the fruit at the equivalent of VND200,000 ($8.84) per kilogram.

    The exporters said they are targeting young consumers in Australia. The Vietnam Trade Office is offering promotions to retail buyers that include air tickets, toys and other gifts.

    Last year Vietnamese dragon fruit exports to Australia grew by 14 percent despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Vietnamese farmers grow nearly 1.4 million tons of the fruit every year, and most of it ends up exported to China.

    However, industry insiders said China has been increasing its area under the fruit in the last three years and would become self-sufficient in another five years, meaning Vietnamese exporters need to look for other markets.

  • MissFresh acquires unmanned retail company Zailouxia

    MissFresh acquires unmanned retail company Zailouxia

    Missfresh took control of Zailouxia, a chain of unmanned convenience stores on January 7 and now has over 10,000 vending machines in nine cities in China.

    Zailouxia, which means “on your doorstep,” was founded in 2017 by ZHANG Ying, who also founded a grocery app Bee Quick in 2014. Zailouxia had four rounds of financing in its first year, but its business soon deteriorated due to high maintenance costs.

    Vending machines have become popular again because of the pandemic as people opt for contactless retail. In 2020, Zailouxia added 200 new locations and the revenue of each location doubled. The company now has 600 unmanned stores and 1,800 vending machines.

    Missfresh is also no stranger to vending machines, first installed in office buildings in 2017. In its Q2 fiscal report last year, Missfresh said the revenue from vending machines grew 23 percent year-on-year to 40 million yuan (US$6.3 million).

    Unmanned retail can be quite risky. Meat, vegetables, and fruit can go off within a day or two. As the pandemic abates, many prefer to shop in markets where they have more choice and have human contact.

    Missfresh lost 7.6 billion yuan over the past two years. Whether acquiring Zailouxia is a blessing or a burden, only time will tell.

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  • Popeyes launches in India as Asian footprint grows

    Popeyes launches in India as Asian footprint grows

    American fast-food chain Popeyes has partnered with Indian foodservice company Jubilant Foodworks to expand its business in Southeast Asia. Jubilant Foodworks will develop and open hundreds of Popeyes restaurants across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan in the coming years.

    Under this multi-country agreement, Jubilant has exclusive rights to operate and sub-license the Popeyes brand in these countries. Founded in 1972, Popeyes offers a New Orleans-style menu featuring chicken sandwiches, spicy chicken, chicken tenders and fried shrimp among other regional items.

    Owned by RBI International, the chain currently has more than 3,400 restaurants in over 25 countries.

    RBI International president David Shear said: “We’re excited to introduce our iconic Louisiana-style chicken to a new population in the world that already celebrates and loves bold and delicious flavours.

    “At Popeyes, we believe that the best food takes time, we marinate our chicken for 12 hours in bold Louisiana seasonings, then hand batter and slowly cook it to make it the juiciest and crispiest chicken that I think our guests will ever have.”

    Jubilant Foodworks chairman Shyam Bhartia and co-chairman Hari Bhartia added: “Chicken is one of the largest and fastest-growing categories in India and is expected to grow rapidly in years to come. Popeyes will be an exciting addition to the JFL portfolio and is expected to become one of the key drivers of growth for us in the coming years.”

    The latest development is part of Popeyes’ aggressive global brand expansion plan. The chain is gearing up to expand its presence in Mexico this year and make its entry to the UK next year. It is planning to develop hundreds of restaurants across both countries.

    Over the last few years, Popeyes has established its footprint in Spain, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

    In a separate development, Indian food delivery platform Swiggy has announced plans to offer vaccine cover to its more than 200,000 delivery partners.

    The announcement follows the Indian government’s decision to commence the next phase of nationwide vaccination in April for people aged 45 and above.

    Swiggy said 5,500 of its delivery partners aged 45 and above will be eligible to opt-in for the vaccination in the first tranche.

    The company is also in discussions with authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive.

    In October last year, Swiggy recorded an 80%-85% rise in pre-Covid-19 order value across the country.

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  • Danone releases high-protein YoPro frozen dessert tubs

    Danone releases high-protein YoPro frozen dessert tubs

    Danone’s YoPRO has today released an ice cream-style dessert option into it’s high-protein snack range. The introduction of Ice Cream-style Dessert Sticks follows YoPRO’s recent release of the Nut Protein Bars, as the brand continues to expand into growing product formats outside of its traditional yogurt range where protein and natural options are important.

    Available in Mint Chocolate and Salted Caramel, YoPRO Ice Cream-style Sticks serve as a deliciously creamy frozen dessert that’s packed with protein, perfect for health-conscious consumers.

    Available in Mint Chocolate and Salted Caramel, YoPRO Ice Cream-style Sticks serve as a deliciously creamy frozen dessert that’s packed with protein, perfect for health-conscious consumers.

    On the new products, YoPRO Brand Manager, Xavier Gonzalez said “Consumers no longer have to make a compromise on their health and fitness while giving in to their sweet tooth cravings. We are excited to be offering a deliciously creamy ice cream-style dessert option that delivers to your daily nutritional needs with 10g protein, no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and less than 110 calories in each stick. We’re hoping the new indulgent flavors will encourage health-conscious consumers to treat themselves more often and tempt existing ice cream lovers to switch to a healthier protein-packed option.”

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  • How Subway keeps it fresh

    How Subway keeps it fresh

    For the longest time, we’ve been hearing the same tagline from Subway: Eat Fresh! Since its inception in 1965, it’s what the brand wants us to associate with when consuming their footlong subs: only the freshest and the healthiest ingredients are used to make them. And it works! After all, we can’t help but cave into the enticing idea that we can eat fast food that’s at the same time, good for our bodies too. The customization factor is the cherry on top.

    It’s the reason why over the decades, the total number of Subway outlets very quickly exceeded that of McDonald’s: a sure sign that this “healthy fast food” concept is a hit with everyone around the globe.

    Of course, the infamous entrance of Jared Fogle and his heavily marketed 200-pound weight-loss story by solely eating at Subway only served to cement the brand as a prominent leader in this growing trend. And when I say trend, it literally paved the way for household favorites such as the iconic Chipotle burrito bowl and Chick-Fil-A’s grilled chicken wrap.

    So yeah, Subway’s marketing has been a phenomenal success, to say the least.

    Now, why am I rambling on about the sub-making food chain’s marketing tactics/brand angle? Well, that’s because the brand recently had a massive overhaul, bringing in dozens of changes and even a new slogan to boot.

    However, this has not come without intense public dissent, which you’ll read about in just a bit. But for now, let’s dive a little more into Subway’s new “Eat Fresh Refresh” campaign.

    Just last month, Subway announced that it was going to be making pivotal changes to its brand with its campaign launch, simply titled “Eat Fresh Refresh”.

    Extending its all-familiar tagline this time, the “Refresh” part stems from having a complete relaunch of its menu items and ingredients (yes, even their secret seasoning), coupled with a revamped mobile app alongside physical dining experience.

    Some of these new ingredients include sliced ham and turkey, hickory-smoked bacon, and will you believe it, parmesan vinaigrette.

    They’re even debuting never-seen-before sandwiches, such as the Turkey Cali Fresh, Steak Cali Fresh, and All-American Club. Talk about big changes!

    According to Subway CMO Carrie Walsh, this entire revamp has been been in progress for the past two years, but the main objective is that they want to give the customers something robust and exciting for a change.

    It’s one of their largest campaigns to date. Roping in renowned agencies such as Dentsumcgarrybowen and Proof Advertising, the large investment will mostly be channeled to creating and boosting a wide range of unique creatives across all social media platforms.

    So what are some of the things that come with this campaign?

    First up, Subway has recruited big names such as Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Tom Brady, and Stephen Curry to help promote their new brand direction.

    Mainly focused on sports-related celebrities, their goal is to spread the word that these celebrities too, can enjoy the new Subway food menu items while staying fit at all times.

    The promotional video above features the celebrity athletes sharing animatedly about the new sandwiches launch, alongside going in-depth about the quality of ingredients that they’ve upped since the campaign.

    This one is still in the works, but essentially, the app will feature a new dashboard, improved ordering flow, and even show real-time out-of-stock items.

    In addition, Subway will be even extending nationwide delivery to select areas, with orders that can be made straight from the app.

    Probably the part everyone is most excited for: as a celebratory gesture for the launch of “Eat Fresh Refresh”, Subway is giving out 50 free Turkey Calis in every participating outlet, which basically adds up to a total of a million free subs.

    Sadly, the campaign has been met with mixed to negative reviews since its launch, with many claiming that they’re just not seeing the actual changes.

    An in-depth review by the Washington Post claims that in their trips to the physical stores since the campaign launched, they’ve been sorely disappointed by the lack of difference in everything, from the menu to service.

    For example, even though Angus beef is one of the advertised new ingredients, it will not actually appear on the menu until the latter half of the year.

    That’s quite a let-down, considering that the menu items are part of the core changes in this campaign.

    Moreover, food preparation was a hot mess, with many of the workers simply not knowing how to create the new subs and creating a lot of unnecessary waiting time.

    And this isn’t just exclusive to the Washington Post. A quick YouTube search reveals a number of reviews that signal their obvious discontent/confusion at this new change.

    I have to confess that prior to reading about this campaign, I’ve not noticed any prominent differences in the food nor the eating experience in my visits to my local Subway. So the question has to be asked: Is this campaign a hit or miss? New delicious-sounding food items. Upgraded mobile app experience. A-list celebrity endorsements. And one million free subs? Come on, that’s impressive.

    Even the campaign objective sounds wholesome and genuine: giving better and tastier ingredients to the customers to keep things exciting. But that’s the thing: campaigns don’t just have to sound good, they have to actually be good.

    If we take a step back and access the campaign, there’s one thing that stands out like a sore thumb: most of the changes haven’t actually been implemented. And it’s not because they’re doing something strategic on purpose — the timing is just simply bad.

    If you announce that you will have new food on the items, they should be available when people order them.

    If you say that service will be completely revamped, at the very least get your staff familiar with the changes before the launch.

    If you say that you have a better app for people to use, it should be ready by the time they download it.

    Otherwise, people are just going to be extremely disappointed/kept waiting for your brand’s campaign.

    And I’m not saying that “Eat Fresh Refresh” is bad — if anything, it has what it takes to be an excellent campaign. But the learning point here is: good timing is extremely essential for any effective campaign.

    A few days of difference can make the difference between success or failure in any campaign.

    Hopefully, Subway will be able to recover from this initial setback and give its customers the changes they’ve all been waiting for.

    Do let me know if you have come across similar campaigns such as this one — I’d love to read more about them!