Jakarta/Indonesia and Singapore, 10 February 2021 – Barry Callebaut Group, the world's leading producer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announced the appointment of PT Sinarniaga Sejahtera ("SNS"), a subsidiary of PT Garudafood Putra Putri Jaya Tbk ("Garudafood"), one of the largest food and beverage companies in Indonesia, as a distributor of Van Houten Professional's sustainable compound chocolate products in Indonesia.
Bringing Van Houten Professional to Indonesia
Based on the cooperation agreement, the target consumers of Van Houten Professional's compound chocolate products are "artisans" and the fast-growing chain of bakeries, cafes, restaurants, wholesalers, and the home-baking segment. These products will be commercially available in the market around March this year. The parties agree to not disclose further information about other provisions of the agreement.
Paulus Tedjosutikno, Director of Garudafood, explained, "We seize the opportunity to collaborate with Barry Callebaut to distribute Van Houten Professional compound chocolate products. We are confident that Garudafood can be a player to be reckoned with in increasing the consumption of chocolate products in Indonesia by optimizing our food service distribution network.”
This collaboration is a continuation of the strategic partnership between Barry Callebaut and Garudafood which was established in 2015. The partnership now focuses on supplying the compound chocolate industry through two chocolate factories in Indonesia, in Gresik, East Java, and Rancaekek, West Java.
This collaboration is a continuation of the strategic partnership between Barry Callebaut and Garudafood which was established in 2015. The partnership now focuses on supplying the compound chocolate industry through two chocolate factories in Indonesia, in Gresik, East Java, and Rancaekek, West Java.
By combining Garudafood's strong sales and distribution strategy in various networks and supported by Barry Callebaut’s competence through a variety of well-known chocolate brands for the business-to-business category, the two companies are committed to creating sustainable growth in the compound chocolate segment in Indonesia.
"Van Houten Professional is a legendary European brand owned by Barry Callebaut. This brand has become a market leader in Asia. By partnering with Garudafood, we are once again partnering with a market leader in the most dynamic economy in the Asia Pacific that has a strategic reach in Indonesia and continues to grow, despite the challenging conditions," said Shuo-yen Choo, Managing Director. Chocolate Indonesia & Vice President, Food Manufacturers, Southeast Asia, Barry Callebaut.
Empowering cocoa farmers in Indonesia through the "Cocoa Horizons" program
Starting its operations in Europe more than 190 years ago, Van Houten Professional offers a brand promise as an innovative brand, offering a complete range of chocolate products and compound chocolates tailored to the technical needs of chocolate manufacturers. In addition to prioritizing quality, taste, and comfort, all Van Houten Professional products are made from 100% sustainably sourced cocoa through the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Barry Callebaut to create a positive impact on the cocoa farmer community.
"We want to improve expertise and creativity among artisans, but more importantly, we aim to promote sustainability in Indonesia. Van Houten Professional will be the first mass-market brand in Indonesia to offer sustainably sourced cocoa under the Cocoa Horizons program. The program will improve the living standards of cocoa farmers and their communities in a number of regions, such as Sulawesi," said Shuo-yen Choo.