-Ayshwaria Lakshmi (cbedit@imaws.org)
India has a new demand in trends in bakery and confectionery products. Bakery sector has undergone various changes in the past year. Not just as a business, the Indian baking sector has huge socio, economic and cultural significance. Out of many, the top two trends would be, preference moving towards egg-free products and baking is moving slowly from a pastime hobby to serious women empowerment.
Varsha Vishnu Prasad, Managing Director, Crust ‘n’ Crumb shares some interesting trends in recent days. “In the Indian markets, we see a growing trend towards egg-free products excluding a few states. There is also an increasing demand for healthy, fiber-oriented, gluten-free, and sugar-free products,” said.
Crust ‘n’ Crumb Food Ingredients is a global player in the Baking & Confectionary industry. The Kerala-based company develops ingredients and technical solutions that help bakers to succeed in today’s marketplace. It has an all India and exports bakery ingredients to nearly 25 countries around the world.
Open to Newer Products
“People are more health-conscious, even when considering to eat bakery products. India, currently, the options for premix solutions of Gluten-Free and Sugar-Free products are very few in number. Indian bakeries sector has evolved in the last decade for which most of the credit should be given to social media. We expect within the next 3 to 5 years the Indian market will become more open to newer products,” said Varsha.
With evolving taste palates and the embracement of global trends, there are newer demands for unique range of products. Even the preference among the Bakers have changed. They favor suppliers who provide value-added service and supply a wide basket of products with consistent quality. “Even our clients expect seamless service and do not prefer to change the ingredients once the formulations are set. We believe in consistent quality and have a customer-centric approach, creating the best experience for our clients. Our company adheres to stringent safety protocols while supplying a product that exceeds customer expectations.,” said Varsha.
Differentiating from Rivals
The product’s offered by Crust ‘n’ Crumb ensure to the maintenance of the taste, texture, color, and presentation of the highest caliber. Every batch is promised to provide the same high quality of products. The team immediately calls back their stocks if there is any quality deviation. This has allowed them to create a good presence as a team.
“We listen to our customers, and it shows in the goods we deliver. We were able to establish a very good presence as a team because we are young, flexible, and receptive to the changing marketing conditions. As a close-knit team, discussions for changes can be brought into action within a very short period. This helps us in catering to the market demands very quickly which is one of our USPs,” Varsha added.
Another feature that has created an edge over the competitors is encompassing a wide basket range of products. With more than 150 products in the industrial range and over 70 products in the retail range, catering to region-wise specific formulations of products based on the taste requirements. “We accommodate the requirements of our wide range of customers as taste and trends change according to the region. These mottos of ours have helped us differentiate from others,” said Varsha
The Product Range Secret
“Our products span through traditional baking ingredients, convenient premixes, concentrates, bread improvers, marination and breading mixes, decorative toppings, flavored fillings, colors, and flavors,” said Varsha.
The Industrial and Institutional products division (B2B) offers value-added baking solutions to industrial, commercial, and craft bakers, food service companies, confectionery manufacturers, quick-service restaurants, and flour millers around the world. A range of products that can be baked, fried, cooked, or prepared conveniently in the home kitchen is marketed through our Retail products division (B2C). Crust ‘n’ Crumb is a brand known for its innovation in mixes for preparing cakes, muffins, ice cream, fried chicken, jam, natural drinks, and a variety of products that a family can enjoy and indulge in a short span of time.
“We do our market research to understand the need and analyze the gap. Accordingly, we plan and actualize the need of the market through our specialized team. We don’t just focus on affordability, our products are defined in terms of Quality, Price and Availability,” said Varsha.
Expansion Plans
The team has plans to add one more production facility in India to double their current capacity. They are also working towards increasing their range of products. The company has been focusing on more development on specialty products like fiber-rich, low-calorie products.
Speaking on the expansion plans, she says that India is a country with different strata of population. Customers are to be provided with baking solutions corresponding to their needs; products offered should have clear benefits, value, and quality. Then, the team works on shortlisting the products centered on the wellness of customers with affordable pricing. “With our extensive distribution network, we ensure the availability throughout India. Apart from that, we have a reasonable presence in social media through which we doubly ensure our reach to the customers. Offering good and consistent quality products makes the customers in India willing and capable to purchase,” added Varsha.
“With a very research-oriented approach, we are always innovating and are equipped with a full-fledged Research & Development department, where each year our products are constantly evaluated and improved to meet the dynamically evolving market needs. With innovative baking solutions and a dedication to deliver the finest, we have an enthusiasm to understand the market requirements and face the future demands,” said Varsha.
On Indian Home Bakers
“We have been seeing the growth of the home bakers’ sector for some time, but the last year showed a significant increase in the numbers of home bakers. During the lockdowns due to the pandemic, which confined people to their homes, baking appeared as a trendy approach to conquer uncertainty and stress, and at the same time, as a source of income and empowerment,” said Varsha. Home bakers are driven wholly by ‘Passion’, and within the next few years, they would be playing an equal role alongside the current commercial bakery segment.
Team Arseno Tech wishes Ms Varsha and her team for their new unit and places the Indian bakery ingredient sector in the global arena. We are Kerala’s leading end-to-end IT solutions provider.
