As of November 17, Mihaela Cuturescu, the former CFO of Alpin57Lux, has been appointed the new CEO of Alpin57Lux, Romanian ice cream producer located in Sebes, Alba region. With decades of experience since its foundation in 1994 and continuous growth and focus on innovation, Alpin57Lux is among leading traditional players in ice cream, frozen food and pastry segments. Alpin57Lux employs over 500 people and produces over 100 SKUs with more than 10 brands, among which the most popular ones are premium ice cream Transalpina, heritage ice cream brand Fulg de Nea, low cal ice cream Suplette and kid’s ice cream brand Fixiki. Since 2016 Alpin57Lux is a part of international ice cream and dairy player Food Union Group.
“I am happy and grateful to be entrusted with leading the dedicated and passionate team of Alpin57Lux in our quest to accelerate the company’s growth. I have many plans to continue the transformation, energy, and determination for this new chapter. I think that we must capitalize on our strengths as a Romanian producer with a long-standing tradition, but also to have the courage to constantly innovate in a field full of life and effervescence,” comments Mihaela Cuturescu, CEO of Alpin57Lux, part of Food Union Group.
Mihaela Cuturescu has more than 15 years of experience in corporate finance with significant expertise in a range of processes part of transaction cycle, from origination to deployment in Romania. Previously, Mihaela was the Manager of Transaction Advisory Services at EY Romania, where she accumulated 10 years of experience in due diligence, corporate finance, financial external audit in healthcare, power and utilities, industrial goods, telecom or FMCG sectors. With Alpin57Lux joining the Food Union Group in 2016, Mihaela became the company’s CFO.
“Mihaela has been present at every step of the way of Alpin 57 Lux’s story since joining the Food Union Group. Over the years, we have managed to make several significant changes to the organization to keep pace with today’s business and market environment. I am pleased that she will now take over and continue building the organization that proudly represents both Romanian ice cream making traditions as well as consumer-centric innovations to stand the test of a complex and fairly saturated market of Romania,” adds Normunds Stanevics, CEO of Food Union Group in Europe.
ABOUT ALPIN57LUX
Alpin 57 Lux is one of the largest ice cream companies in Romania. Founded by Ioan Istrate as family business in 1994, the company became part of the international ice cream and dairy player Food Union Group in 2016. With decades of experience since its foundation and continuous growth and focus on innovation, Alpin 57 Lux is among leading traditional players in ice cream, pastry and frozen food segments. Alpin 57 Lux employs over 500 people and produces over 100 SKUs with more than 10 brands, among which the most popular ones are premium ice cream Transalpina, Fulg de Nea – black cone won “Product of the year title for innovating in ice cream category” in 2021, heritage ice cream brands like Polar and Sandwich, low callories ice cream Suplette and kid’s ice cream brands like Tedi (licensed brand, owned by Maspex Group Poland).
Since 2001 Alpin 57 Lux began production and distribution of a wide range of pastries and frozen bakery, taking up around 20% of total sales of Alpin 57 Lux together with frozen food. Alpin 57 Lux operates in the factory in Sebeș, Alba County. The factory is located on a new industrial platform, with modern production and storage spaces complying with IFS Food version 7, ISO 22 000:2018 and BSCI – The Business Social Compliance Initiative. Founder of Alpin57Lux, Ioan Istrate, remains with the company, as a non-executive member of the Board and Chairman.
ABOUT FOOD UNION
Food Union is a leading, innovative consumer goods company that develops local brands and delivers delightful products in Europe, Belarus, Russia, China and Pacific Asia. Food Union is currently the leading ice cream producer in the Baltics and Denmark, and the group holds a strong market position in Norway, Romania, Russia and Belarus.
Food Union Group is a dynamic player in the European dairy sector. They paved the way by developing and focusing on the acquisition of leading national brands across Europe. The Group is made up of the two of the largest dairy and ice-cream companies in Latvia – Rīgas piena kombināts and Valmieras piens. The Group also includes companies such as: Estonia’s and Lithuania’s largest ice cream makers Premia TKH and Premia KPC, the leading Danish ice cream producer Premier Is and Danish door-step-delivery ice cream company Hjem Is, Norway’s ice cream company Isbjørn Is and door-step-delivery ice cream company Den Norske Isbilen, Romanian ice cream maker Alpin57Lux, and ice cream company Ingman Ice Cream in Belarus and ice cream company Khladokombinat No.1 in Russia. The leading dairy group is backed by Hong Kong-based investment company Meridian Capital Limited, and one of Asia’s largest private capital firms PAG.
Return to natural ingredients signals high quality mark on expanding product category
This summer, Premia, a proud member of the international ice-cream group Food Union, saw an opportunity to focus on the premiumisation of its ice cream range and grow a new series of high-end products using real cream that creates an ultra-creamy sensation. This renaissance brings the industry full circle from a time when nearly all ice creams used real cream. Today producers are seeing the importance of getting back to basics and looking at the foundational ingredient that has been trusted to deliver on a rich, creamy feel; while consumers are seeking to find in the premium ice-cream category the use of wholesome ingredients which are a signature of quality.
The Estonian flagship ice cream producer Premia took the opportunity to develop a higher-level product line Premia Cream de le Cream and engage the consumers with a more luxurious, indulgent and ‘cream focused’ offering. It is characterized by saturated flavours of chocolate chip cookies and peanut cream or cookie dough and salted caramel sauce – nothing has been saved for Premia Cream de la Cream line to stand out.
Heading into this fall season, Premia is excited to announce this new product line based on its rich legacy. The Cream de la Cream line comes in three new flavours all infused by rich real cream and rich additives packaged in environmentally friendly PEFC-certified carboard tub offering the crème de la crème of decadent flavour ways:
EXPANDING THE PREMIA RANGE
500ml Tubs offering decadent dulcet delights
In addition to new Premia Cream de la Cream line, Premia has also created two 500ml carton tubs that cater for the ultimate dulcet treat: one with coffee ice cream with salted caramel filling and waffle balls in milk chocolate and the other bringing together vanilla ice cream with walnuts and maple syrup. The Premia 500ml tubs are environmentally friendly with PEFC-certification.
1 Litre ‘Shared Dessert’ Tubs cream it by delighting consumers with Panna Cotta flavour
Premia has created 1-liter ice creams tubs for sharing with family and friends that leverage the creamy and light texture of panna cotta, the beloved Italian cream dessert. Premia Panna Cotta ice cream with fresh raspberry jam is a perfect combination of flavours, where the rich raspberry sauce compliments the soft Panna cotta flavoured ice cream.
Trendy flavours, new ice cream sub-categories and further ice cream premiumisation among Autumn/ Winter trends
Recognized international ice cream developer and distributer, the Food Union Group continues to invest in developing new products to connect with consumers across key markets as it shows that frozen treats are just as delicious in autumn and winter as they are during the high summer season.
“Our innovation cycle is tailored to our goal of creating and delivering the products the consumer wants, where they want them and in the way they want them. From the idea or consumer insight to the sensory testing and packaging solution, everything must lead to a commercially successful product. This is how we see real consumer-centric innovation and how we measure our success,” says Normunds Stanevics, CEO of Food Union Group in Europe.
Summer novelties show results
For Summer season 2021 Food Union launched a record amount of 124 unique ice cream novelties across 8 markets. In most of the markets, the ice cream novelties designed by the Food Union Group companies showed a leading position in the local markets. For example, according to Nielsen value share data for the period May – August 2021, 8 of the Top10 new products in Latvia were presented by Food Union, 7 of the Top10 novel products in Estonia were Premia products, while 3 of the Top10 in Lithuania were Premia branded products. The commercial success of these products is a combination of a well-understood consumer need embodied in a quality product and delivered in a market-appropriate brand and price positioning.
Winter novelties sets a high bar
Gourmands can look forward to a Winter season of 2021 coloured by rich and saturated flavours across Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, and Danish markets. Food Union’s new product development team has worked on 16 novelties for the cold season based on consumer demands and preferences. Key trends Food Union Group focuses are:
Latvia: the art of mixology and innovative new category
Latvian culinary artistry brand Ekselence launched a total of 6 novelties for this Autumn/ Winter season with trendy rich and saturated flavours in both 0.5 litre tubs and 1 litre boxes available nationwide starting from week 46:
And 3 flavours in 1 litre packaging:
Legendary ice cream brand Pols continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary by introducing a totally new and innovative product category – ice cream bites. Produced in a form of “snow peaks” and covered in thick milk chocolate, are served in a biodegradable carton packaging of 15 pieces of candies in each for ultimate cold confectionary experience. Available nationwide from week 44.
Estonia: further premiumisation of ice cream and rich flavoured favours
Premia is offering new product line based on its legacy brand Premia named Cream de la Cream with three new products all infused by rich natural cream and delicious flavours packaged in environmentally friendly PEFC-certified carboard tubs and available in Estonia starting from week 48:
Premia will be also offering two 0.5 litre ice cream tubs in PEFC-certified carton that cater for the ultimate dulcet treat:
Premia series of 1-liter family ice creams will be supplemented with refreshing delicacy:
In addition to Premia brand, the well-known cartoon and film character Vanamees will return to ice cream freezers across Estonia with vanilla ice cream made from natural cream in a 1-liter family carton bricket package.
Lithuania: continuous celebrations with exciting new products
Pols in Lithuania continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary by launching three exciting products to provide enjoyment and special moments on any occasion:
Denmark: complementing the full ice cream experience
Premier Is in Denmark has recently launched its Mobile Ice Cream Store or a set of new accessories that brings ice cream store experience to one’s home. Building on the trends of more time spent at home with family and the rise of snacking, Premier Is now offers boxes of key ice cream accessories – wafer cones, eye catching sprinkles and sauces in addition to special ice cream spoon and tray together with the best ice cream made in Denmark at Hjem Is door-step-delivery ice cream trucks.
Norway: bringing ice cream closer to communities
Food Union companies in Norway continue its digitalization journey of the door-step-delivery segment – now launching it on a new arena. From this autumn on; a new community project is in pilot. The main objective is to bring the great experience and assortment of Isbilen door-step-delivery service an income opportunity to sports clubs and culture organizations all over Norway. The idea is rooted in community involvement, in which the non-profit organizations is creating income opportunities by activating its crowd in the fundraising.
Ekselence, one of the leading ice-cream brands in Latvia and a proud member of the international ice-cream group Food Union, has created an innovative range of ice-creams that offer unparalleled gourmet decadence and tap into warm cues of winter with a trendy new ice-cream range that transcends seasons.
“Ekselence is really focused on pushing sensory boundaries and developing products that are inspired by global lifestyle and food trends resulting in flavours that scintillate and excite consumers palates. From the world’s most popular drink coffee to the world’s little-known bird’s milk or milk souffle – Ekselence highlights these flavours on the foundation of creamy ice cream and continues to be at the forefront of the ice cream market,” Sandra Usacheva, Food Union ice cream brand manager, shared the new developments in the range.
“These all-season ice-creams use world class ingredients and tap into consumer desires for winter treats. Ekselence delivers a rich experience that ice-cream and dessert enthusiasts alike can appreciate in the warmth of one’s home and consistently create special moments for families and friends at home with ice cream in sizes for every gathering,” adds Sandra Usacheva.
Ekselence, that is recognized for its culinary artistry in ice-cream, launched a total of 6 novelties for this Autumn/ Winter season, offering rich and saturated flavours in both 0,5 litre and 1 litre boxes. Each ice cream is a culinary artform bringing together texture, layers and flavours into a signature of Ekselence. The products are tailored for true gourmands and deliver warm sensations to be enjoyed as a chilled winter dessert:
The range incorporates 3 flavours in 0,5 litre cardboard tubs:
And 3 flavours in 1 litre packaging:
All 6 new products will be available starting from week 46 nationwide in Latvia.
50 years and still innovating
One of Europe’s leading ice cream and dairy production and distribution groups Food Union is proud to announce an innovation for its legacy ice cream brand Pols – Pols ‘Snow Peaks’ – a box of cocoa glazed ice cream bites in a form of snow peaks. Emphasizing the company’s pedigree of half a decade in ice-cream, this celebratory box of 15-piece individual bite-size frozen delights is the perfect indulgence in the ice-cream confectionery segment. Encased in classic Pols designed and environmentally friendly packaging, the company continues to celebrate the brand’s 50-year anniversary.
With its iconic polar bear, Pols is a signature of an established and trusted ice-cream brand coming from the leading ice-cream producer in Latvia, Food Union. Continuing the snow-inspired theme, and echoing the shape of snow peaks, the new Pols ice cream bites range is chocolate enrobed and filled with the creamy rich, vanilla ice-cream that is the signature of Pols. The harmonious balance of milk chocolate made from cocoa butter is combined with the smooth finish of vanilla ice-cream made from the highest quality milk that will excite taste buds.
“This is about blurring lines of product categories and driving the innovation cycle with creativity,” said Sandra Usacheva, Food Union ice cream brand manager. “Food Union’s group of brands look to its connection with consumers to deliver highly unique ice cream experiences and creating a frozen confectionery that is the next level of innovation.”
Pols is firmly committed to simple, high-quality, natural ingredients with natural stabilisers or emulsifiers. By using creamy milk produced by local farmers, its signature recipe offers farm-fresh goodness and a richness of taste. As a result, the brand and its well-known polar bear logo is recognised as a symbol of excellence in the industry.
The new product was a creation of Food Union’s Riga based Ice Cream Competence Centre, where a talented team of R&D experts carefully develop and test ice cream recipes for both Latvian and export markets. Food Union developed the novelty, using company’s latest ice cream line, the purchase of which two years ago invested about 2 million euros.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
The Pols ‘Snow Peaks’ ice cream bites are served in an easy-to-open and environmentally friendly biodegradable cardboard box, which, when released into the environment, breaks down completely without residue. This completely environmentally friendly packaging solution is used for the first time during the existence of the Pols brand. Each box contains indulgent trays of 15 ice creams with a total weight of 210 grams.
AVAILABILITY
The new “Pols” ice cream bites are already available in the “Food Union” online store in Latvia www.pienaveikals.lv, as well as starting from November will be available in the largest chain stores and small close-to-home shops throughout Latvia and Lithuania.
Food Union Group company Premia, the oldest and largest Estonian ice cream producer that marks its 65th anniversary this year, is venturing into the dairy market by launching curd snacks under its Väike Tom brand, so far known for its ice cream portfolio. This is one among many Food Union Group’s strategic steps to enter Estonian dairy market. The new curd snacks contain no preservatives, artificial colorants, vegetable fats or palm oil, and come packaged in environment-friendly packaging made by 50% of certified bio-based material.
“Little Tom’s (English for Väike Tom) thirst for adventure and cheerfulness characterize the essence of the curd snacks, which is why this blond boy, who has been entertaining, for more than 20 years now, children and adults who love ice cream, is now spearheading a completely new product category. The result is exactly what we wanted: a popular curd snack made from natural components, with a minimum number of ingredients and a pleasant, delicate texture,” Premia CEO Aivar Aus described the new snacks.
The cocoa-glazed Väike Tom curd snacks are available in four different flavors: curd snack with ice cream flavor, curd snack with banana flavor, vanilla curd snack with chocolate chips, and chocolate curd snack with chocolate chips. Premia uses natural flavors and additives to achieve a special taste, for instance, genuine banana additive and chocolate chips. The curd snacks are coated with cocoa glaze made of ingredients commonly used in home cooking, such as cocoa, butter and sugar.
The snacks’ packaging is made of an ISCC-certified material that is 50% bio-based. Since the packaging material is by 50% made of a renewable natural resource – waste from the wood processing industry, it is a more sustainable alternative to conventional packaging.
“This is one among many Food Union Group’s strategic steps to capitalize on Estonian dairy market. In Estonia, as in Latvia, the culture of consuming high-quality and fresh dairy products is widespread, and curd snacks are not new as a category. We are already leading the curd snack category with Kārums produce, while our Väike Tom products come in as a unique combination of clean recipes, excellent taste combinations and sustainable packaging in this saturated product category. We will not stop with it, soon we plan to delight Estonian consumers with other delicious and healthy dairy products,” Normunds Stanevics, Food Union Group CEO comments plans for expansion in the dairy market.
The new Väike Tom curd snacks are sold at COOP, Selver, Rimi, Maxima and Prisma stores across Estonia.
ABOUT PREMIA TKH
AS Premia Tallinna Külmhoone was established in 1956, in 2020 the company was a convincing leader on the Estonian ice cream market with a market share of 39%. Premia’s brands Eriti Rammus and Väike Tom are the top favorites with ice cream lovers in Estonia. The company is part of the international Food Union Group, which includes the leading ice cream and dairy producers in the Baltics, Denmark, Norway, Romania, Russia and Belarus.
ABOUT FOOD UNION
Food Union is currently the leading ice cream producer in the Baltics and Denmark, and the group holds a strong market position in Norway, Romania, Russia and Belarus. A leading, innovative consumer goods company, Food Union develops local brands and delivers delightful products in the premium snacking, ice-cream and dairy categories.
Food Union is a dynamic player in the European dairy and ice cream sector. It paved the way by developing and focusing on the acquisition of leading national brands across Europe. The Group is made up of two of the largest dairy and ice-cream companies in Latvia – Rīgas piena kombināts and Valmieras piens. The Group also includes Estonia’s and Lithuania’s largest ice cream makers Premia TKH and Premia KPC, the leading Danish ice cream producer Premier Is and Danish doorstep-delivery ice cream company Hjem-Is Danmark, Norway’s ice cream company Isbjørn Is and doorstep-delivery ice cream company Den Norske Isbilen, Romanian ice cream maker Alpin 57 Lux, ice cream company Ingman Ice Cream in Belarus, and ice cream company Khladokombinat No.1 in Russia.
Food Union Group is backed by Hong Kong-based investment company Meridian Capital Limited, and one of Asia’s largest private capital firms, PAG.
Food Union, the international dairy and ice cream production and distributing group, is proud to announce one of the icons in its portfolio has celebrated its 50-year anniversary. Pols has cemented its place in the hearts of consumers for half a decade and is now recognized widely as the oldest ice cream brand in Latvia, making it a cornerstone in the Food Union portfolio.
Since its inception in 1971, Pols’ classic recipe has endured as a mark of ‘farm-fresh’ quality and remains unchanged to this day. Pols is highly committed to simple, high-quality, natural ingredients with no preservatives or emulsifiers and perhaps, more than ever, the consumer market values this ethos. By using creamy milk produced by local farmers, its signature recipe offers farm-fresh goodness and a richness of taste. As a result, the brand and its well-known polar bear logo is recognised as a symbol of excellence and innovations in the industry.
Since opening Latvia’s first industrial scale ice-cream factory in 1971, the brand has prided itself on its balance of tradition with an innovative culture which has ensured it remains top of mind and has enjoyed continued success and longevity.
Sandra Usacheva, Pols Brands Manager, said:
“This is a massive achievement in terms of building a brand that not only endures but also innovates, capturing hearts and market-share and during the past 50 years Pols has succeeded at becoming an iconic brand in the Baltic States and is showing impressive results in South East Asia. I feel great pride in having reached this milestone and would like to give my thanks to everyone who has contributed to this landmark achievement throughout Pols’ history.”
From bold formats, bright colors to non-standard sizes and imaginative flavors, Pols’ commitment to innovation has produced a delicious array of top-selling ice cream products throughout its history by:
Normunds Stanevics. CEO of Food Union Group Europe, notes:
“The Food Union portfolio is committed to building a compendium of power-brands that resonate with consumers and offer long-term value. It is the power to endure, grow and innovate over time that cements market leadership and true brand value. Pols, as one of the oldest ice-cream brands in our group, is focused on long-term brand fundamentals that have endured 50 years through being focused on quality, staying true to their roots and yet staying fresh through new innovative formats. We are immensely proud of all they have achieved.”
Over its 50-year history, Pols has continued to grow and offer its products to an expanding international market and currently exports across Baltic States, as well as South East Asian countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.