The firm, which was founded in the mid 1980s as a retail/café business, changed direction in 2000/2001 and stepped up its wholesaling activities, manufacturing chocolates for hotels, caterers and independent retailers, md James Ecclestone told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
“Now we think it’s time to diversify again and we’re working on prototypes of bars, chocolate blocks and boxed chocolates specifically for the supermarkets with a view to trying to secure local listings within a certain radius of our site in Enfield. We’re looking at a variety of concepts.”
While it was hard for small manufacturers to get listings in major supermarkets, buyers at firms such as Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer were now more willing to consider regional listings as part of local sourcing and carbon footprint reduction initiatives, he claimed.
“The market has changed enormously in recent years and the supermarkets want something more artisanal and different. They are saying: challenge us.”
Space to grow
Casemir was currently manufacturing around 40t of chocolate a year on a single-shift, four and a half-day working week, and could easily double that before having to move to larger premises, he added.
“We are obviously pretty small fry in the great scheme of things, but I think it’s not the case any more with supermarkets that you have to be able to supply all of their stores or nothing.”
Casemir supplies 84 of the nation’s top 200 hotels listed by the AA with handmade chocolates made from cream, premium cocoa beans and dairy butter.
The range, developed by three chefs under the direction of executive Chef Frederic Blondeel, has recently been expanded following a joint venture with nut supplier Trigon Snacks to produce new luxury snack products for hotels and bars, he said.