The Cremica group making waves in food service industry

Ludhiana, April 7 (ANI): Established in 1978 as a small enterprise by Mrs. Bector, a housewife and passionate food enthusiast, the Cremica Group is today a widely diversified food products company engaged in food retailing and food services industry.

Mrs Bector's Cremica, a 90 million dollar company, is one of the largest players in food services business in India.

The Cremica Group includes Cremica Frozen Foods, EBI Foods, Mrs Bector's Desserts and Cremica Agro India. It serves as a one-stop solution provider to all leading food service chains, food retail chains, hotel groups and airlines.

Cremica's spread of delightful biscuits, breads, sauces, bread spreads, ready-to-eat curries and syrups have something for everyone.

Today, its products are exported to 50 countries including Africa, the USA, UK and the Middle East.

"Our sauces are going to Australia. We have recently launched a new range of chip-dips and bread spread in the ethnic Indian range and these are going abroad to a number of countries. We have had a highly successful launches of these products in Australia and the U.S. and we will be further reinforcing a new strategy in these markets," said Adshay Bector, Managing Director of Mrs. Bector's Food Specialities Ltd.

Since 1996 Cremica has been supplying buns, ketchups and toppings to McDonald's - its key business partner. It has also partnered with Cadbury's ITC and EBI Foods, a UK based firm. It has customers like Cafi Coffee Day, Taj Group of Hotels, Spencer and Barista as well.

Cremica's liquid condiments and biscuits are very popular. Earlier, it was producing liquid condiments like sauces, Mayonnaise, Toppings and Syrups with its partner company, the erstwhile Quaker Oats Inc of the United States.

In 1999, Quaker Oats withdrew from the joint venture.

Cremica's automated biscuit plant has a monthly capacity of producing 10,000 tonnes of biscuits. Its dominant role in the biscuits segment arises from its excellent quality, widespread distribution and extended range.

"Almost all the divisions are growing fast. We do expect the growth to taper off slightly but I think our business will continue to grow. We are amongst the top five players in the biscuit industry in India and amongst the top three in the tomato Ketchup industry and the liquid condiments business. Hopefully the trend will continue and our foothold being our markets rather being all over the world. We do expend that our company would continue to grow," said Akshay Bector, Managing Director Mrs. Bector's Food Specialities Ltd.

To maintain the highest standards in food safety, the group has adopted the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Standards, which is certified by the NSF International of USA.

The best way for survival, the company believes, lies in expansion. Growing at rate of 30 er cent per annum, it is expecting the turnover to touch 120 million USD by 2010.

Currently the company is planning to enter into a venture of ready-to-eat ethnic dishes.

According to 'India Food Report 2008' by research and markets the Indian food market is estimated to be worth about 182 billion dollars and accounts for two thirds of the total Indian retail market. By Karan Kapoor(ANI)