Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut has expanded further in China through a new office and Chocolate Academy that was recently established in Beijing. The move is part of the company's expansion efforts in the world's second-largest economy.
Food Business News reported that the Zurich-based firm will tend to customers and interested trainees through its new center. The Beijing office is the second facility after the company erected its first Chocolate Academy in Shanghai.
"Domestic chocolate production is increasing, and we have experienced double-digit growth in China over the last four years," president of the company's Asia Pacific arm, Ben De Schryver, said.
Schryver added that Barry Callebaut is confident in the potential growth of China's chocolate market. He said the firm will continue building on its distribution networks in the country in the coming years.
With the establishment of its Beijing facility, Barry Callebaut increased its sales representatives in the country, helping boost employment in the region. The company's distribution network was also enhanced as operations increased across 21 Chinese cities including Nanjing, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Xiamen.
According to the Food & Drink International Forum, Managing Director for Barry Callebaut's China operations, George Zhang said the Chinese chocolate market promises further growth this year. The growth trend will be positively impacted by increased demand for premium chocolates.
Zhang further noted that since China is the world's leading e-commerce market, sales through the firm's online platform saw a tripled increase over the last two years. Most of these transactions were from Chinese consumers who purchased high-quality chocolate products.
Earlier in February, company Chief Innovation, Sustainability and Quality Officer of the Weise, Belgium factory, Pablo Perversi discussed how the chocolate firm's developments over the past few years in China and other countries helped advance the industry as a whole.
In an exclusive interview with Food Manufacture UK, Perversi said one of the key drivers in Barry Callebaut's growth is the Ruby variant in its chocolate product list. According to Perversi, the company's vision revolves around three main aspects: reinventing the industry's future, leading global trends, and producing new experiences for consumers across the globe.
The innovation chief also revealed that Barry Callebaut is working on potentially offering vegetarian and vegan choices for the new generation's buying behavior that point to healthier trends. The chocolatier is also exploring options for bringing products packed with probiotics.
After the release of the Ruby variant, the Swiss chocolate maker is said to be looking into new products that will cater to centennial and millennial consumers as part of the company's efforts in unlocking new Chinese markets.
