KIWI PANCAKES SELLING A New Zealand company that flips millions of pancakes a year is increasing its exports to the Middle East due to rising demand for its innovative products. Van Dyck Fine Foods will soon start selling its new hotcake-sandwich, Marcel’s Tandum, in 60 of the Middle East’s ENOC service station chains through its distributor Oasis Foods International. Van Dyck’s Marcom Manager Eurasia, Rafael Porto Carrero, says the company has been successful at creating new products and taking them to market. “Our company has a real entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on innovation. A lot of research and development goes into new products and that pays off,” he says. The Tandums are two hotcakes sandwiched together with a filling, and individually wrapped for the convenience food market. Van Dyck also exports these to Starbucks Malaysia. The company started selling its crepes and hotcakes direct to the Middle East supermarket chain Spinneys last year, and Oasis also distributes its products to the food service industry. 24 www.foodtechnology.co.nz After one year selling its products in the Middle East, commercial manager Ben Clare says the company is still growing its business there and has so far focused on the expat community. “It’s early days for us there and the challenge will be how to adjust certain flavours and tastes for the Middle East market,” he says. The company got its big break in the Arab world when its founding co-owner and commercial director Inge Vercammen attended the large food and beverage trade show Gulfood with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) last year. Van Dyck caught Spinneys’ attention when the New Plymouth pancake manufacturer was exhibiting at the Fine Food Australia trade show in 2014. “There is a lot of networking involved,” Clare says. NZTE helped to set up a meeting between Vercammen and potential distributors later, and soon after Van Dyck had shipped its first order to their new distributor Oasis. Ben Clare says this year, the company will be exhibiting at Gulfood in Dubai this month to find out more about the market and meet key decision makers. “Food shows are our primary marketing channel, especially for business to business contact. We like to work with our own distributors as much as possible,” Porto Carrero adds. Van Dyck’s culture of innovation stems from its Belgian founders Marcel Naenen and Inge Vercammen, who holidayed in New Zealand and returned shortly after to set up their business 16 years ago. Within a month of flipping their first crepe, they had a local supermarket order. They started exporting to Australia in 2005, and have seven Asian export markets to date. Van Dyck cooks all styles of Marcel’s pancakes in a fully automated plant. In 2014 the factory was largely extended LIKE HOTCAKES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
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