"A new concept and a more professional image"

Interview with Mr. Marc Boits - Commercial Director Heuschen & Schrouff Oriental Foods Trading BV

Heuschen & Schrouff Oriental Foods Trading BV is the market leading distributor of authentic Asian food and non-food in Germany, Austria, and the Benelux. “We import the Taste of Asia – the products and A-brands typically displayed on the supermarket shelves in Asia,” says Commercial Director Marc Boits.

The business started nearly 50 years ago in the Netherlands, targeting the many Indonesian people coming into the country. Since then their product portfolio has expanded to keep in line with changing customer requirements, and now covers over 3000 SKUs. “Up to 60% of a typical Asian supermarket’s customers in western Europe are not Asians, but local Europeans,” remarks Boits. “Our product range reflects this growth.”

Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 is an important event for Heuschen & Schrouff as it sees the launch of a new concept for the food service market. Details will be announced at the show, but it involves an innovative concept for introducing authentic Asian food into the non-Asian food channel.

Another reason why Boits is looking forward to the exhibition is that it provides a unique opportunity for Heuschen & Schrouff to promote quality across the industry. “It’s vital that the ethnic food industry has a more professional image. The majority of importers are highly professional and adhere to all the regulations regarding the import of food into the EU,” he explains. “However, there are still some small importers who try to cut corners. We want to create a platform to insist on the highest professional standards across the industry.”

As to the future of ethnic food, Boits has some interesting views. He believes that the snacking market is set for some delicious new products from the orient. “Japanese food is huge in Europe at the moment, and in Japan they have a lot of very interesting snack foods,” he explains. “They are not only tasty and easy to eat, but they are also very healthy. I can easily imagine them taking off big-time over here.”




“A marvelous opportunity on my doorstep!”

Interview with Mr. Patrick Verhoeven - Category Manager Makro Cash & Carry Belgium

Patrick Verhoeven, Category Manager for Makro Cash & Carry Belgium, is licking his lips at the prospect of attending the Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 exhibition. “It’s a great opportunity for me and my colleagues. There will be a huge assortment of products on display from all over the world. Normally such events are in the Far East; it’s wonderful that we have such a prime event here in Europe.”

Verhoeven is particularly interested in new products to boost the already extensive portfolio of ethnic food products held by Makro Cash & Carry Belgium. “Oriental and Tex-Mex are our biggest ranges, so I will be looking at innovative new taste sensations in these areas, but I am also interested in discovering new foods from different, maybe completely unexpected sources.”

Within Makro Cash & Carry Belgium are two types of store. The five METRO stores are aimed solely at food professionals, while the six MAKRO stores are targeted at both consumers and professionals. The oldest MAKRO store, in Antwerp, dates back to 1970. The METRO line is in the process of being extensively expanded.

Verhoeven has seen the ethnic food industry in Belgium grow year after year, and he sees no sign of it abating. “We have a strong, well-developed culture of gastronomy in Belgium, and ethnic food plays a key role in it,” he explains. “Moreover, ethnic foods are being increasingly used in traditional Belgian dishes. So it’s certainly a large and growing market.”

As to the requirements of his customers, Verhoeven points out that customer education is very important – more so for his retail customers than for his professional customers. “Professional customers know what they want and how to use it. However, when faced with a new ethnic food item, retail customers don’t always know how to cook and eat it, so we have to provide demonstrations and animations.”

“A unique opportunity”

Interview with Mr. Alexander Klein - Manager Nestrade Ethnic Foods Business

“I am very much looking forward to attend the Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 exhibition,” says Alexander Klein from Nestrade. “It’s an unique event as many of the major players in the European ethnic foods market will be gathered together in one place.”

As the global trading company of Nestlé World Trade Corporation, Nestrade handles a number of businesses for Nestlé branded products, as well as technical equipment for the Nestlé factories worldwide. Klein is Manager of Branded Products Channel Development and as such is in charge of Nestrade’s ethnic foods business. The business goes under the “Taste of Home” concept and is divided into three pillars.

“The first is what we call the Nostalgic segment,” explains Klein. “It is focused on immigrants living outside their home countries. These ethnic consumers are getting more sophisticated and are insisting on freshness, authenticity and quality of ethnic foods.”

The second is the Exotic segment – foods for European consumers looking for something different to buy, cook and eat. “Every year more and more Europeans are going into the specialty ethnic shops in their neighbourhood to discover new foods and ingredients, whether it’s noodles, sauces, cooking aids, coconut milk etc. Again, this is a huge growth area.”

Finally there is the Religious pillar which mainly concerns authentic halal certified foods and ingredients. Nestlé is a leading player in the halal food market, offering halal products in Muslim countries as well as in other regions with expanding Muslim populations.

With all three segments growing fast, Klein is keen to attend Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 to note the latest market trends: “I and my two colleagues will also be hoping to increase our industry insight and do some valuable networking.”

"A huge growth market"

Interview with Mr. Luc Willemssens, Chief Buyer at Hanos

HGC-Hanos Belgium is one of Belgium’s leading wholesalers for the catering industry. Its 17,000 square meter warehouse in Antwerp – the first cash-and-carry hypermarket in Belgium aimed specifically at the catering industry – offers a vast range of food and non-food items, as well as drinks, office products and a restaurant for its clientele. A 48-hour delivery service rounds off the company’s portfolio.

Chief Buyer at HGC-Hanos Belgium is Luc Willemssens, who is definitely planning on visiting the Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 exhibition. “Belgium has a huge market for ethnic foods thanks largely to a strong tradition of gastronomy here and a multicultural mix of people,” says Willemssens. “It’s one of the reasons why this year we started a page in all our promotional folders dedicated to ethnic foods. So Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 is most definitely the place-to-be for anyone looking at this niche market.”

In his 15-year career with HGC-Hanos, Willemssens has noticed two significant changes in the industry. The first is the growth of oriental restaurants in Belgium. He remembers seeing the first Chinese restaurant open in his home town: now it’s been joined by all sorts of restaurants: Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Japanese, Nepali … the list is endless.

The second major change is affecting the traditional Belgian-French-Italian cuisine. “Chefs are experimenting by using different types of flours, spices, herbs and grains from all over the world in their dishes,” he explains. “I doubt if a restaurant exists in Belgium that does not now use ethnic ingredients, even in the most conventional fish and meat dishes.”

Naturally this is good news for HGC-Hanos Belgium, as they are selling more and more ethnic foods every year, and is one of the reasons why Willemssens is heading to Ethnic Foods Europe 2011.

“I need to see the new ethnic foods that are coming onto the market. And not just foods: I am extremely interested in the non-foods area. These days people want to eat smaller portions of different foods, with side-dishes – whether it’s in restaurants or at home. This is leading to a great demand for all sorts of small plates, pots, cans, dishes, even woven baskets for steaming vegetables. I am looking forward to seeing what’s new on the market in this area too.”

As to the future, Willemssens believes the market will continue to grow. “At the moment most of our ethnic ranges come from the Middle East or Far East. Soon we will be seeing an influx of totally new products from Africa and South America. Ethnic Foods Europe 2011 is likely to play a key role in the future growth of the industry.”

Interview with Mr. Ronald Holman, Exhibition Director Ethnic Foods Europe 2011

1. Putting on a fair for a particular trend in food consumption seems ambitious. What is your motivation?

Ethnic Foods Europe is an important trading and networking opportunity that we have created based on input from the industry. The fact that it’s therefore an industry initiative clearly underlines the importance of the event. We received input from firstly Heuschen & Schrouff and then a larger group of companies that the ethnic food suppliers market was eagerly looking for a new trading platform in Europe, where buyers and suppliers could meet, discuss issues of mutual benefit, learn from each other and do better business in a growing market.

I first thought about organizing an ethnic foods exhibition in Europe ten years ago. However, the market was not ready at that time. In the last decade the market has changed dramatically. There are a lot of big, strong players in the market, with significant marketing and communications budgets. The time is right to give them the platform they are looking for.

In addition, the ethnic foods industry has developed to such an extent that it has outgrown the existing general food fairs. In these, ethnic foods are spread throughout the exhibition grounds, often in multiple halls. A buyer who is interested in ethnic foods doesn’t want to search through a dozen or so halls to find his suppliers. It’s time to have a vertically focused, specialized ethnic foods exhibition to make it easier for everyone in the industry.

Of course, it’s been a huge challenge to put on Ethnic Foods Europe 2011. There are no similar events that we could model our approach on. There is a Halal foods exhibition but we see ethnic foods as much bigger than Halal. The only similar events are in Asia, such as Thaifex in Bangkok, Thailand.

2. How do you define the market segment of ethnic food and where do you see the future development?

We describe ethnic food as any food that is not Western European in origin. In terms of specific regions and countries it covers foods originating from Central Asia, the Far East, Arabia, the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and South America.

As to the future of the ethnic foods market in Europe, it’s looking extremely bright. Europe is increasingly becoming a melting pot of cultures, with more and more nationalities establishing themselves here. You just have to walk through any of the major towns and cities in Europe – in any country – to realize this. And of course all these people want to eat what they are accustomed to eat back home. This was the driving force behind the establishment of Asian supermarkets in Europe.

In addition, second generation immigrants are now striking out from their own ethnic supermarkets and visiting mainstream supermarkets to find their own ethnic foods.

A final factor is that today’s Europeans are global travelers. And wherever they go to, they enjoy the food and come back to look for it in their local supermarket. So European cooking and eating habits are changing, which again is driving the growth of the ethnic foods market here.

3. What new trends in ethnic food do you expect?

I expect to see certain ethnic foods become mainstream. This has already happened in the UK where Chicken Tikka Masala is now the most popular dish in UK restaurants and has even been called “Britain’s true national dish.” I expect to see similar ethnic dishes rising up the popularity charts in other European countries and become accepted by the large supermarkets.

I also anticipate the arrival of new ethnic foods. I would not be surprised to see food items from the Arabic peninsula and Turkey increase their market share.

I also think we will get a broader variety of suppliers operating in Europe, both large ones and smaller specialty suppliers. In parallel, as customers buy more ethnic foods, their expectations will rise so quality levels will become higher.

All in all I think the ethnic foods market is currently in a strong position at the moment and will continue to grow and develop in the foreseeable future.