Froneri boss: premiumisation driving growth in ice cream

Commenting on emerging trends in the ice cream sector, Froneri chief executive Ibrahim Najafi told Food Manufacture​ that there had been a sustained push towards more premiumisation in the category.

“Consumers have become foodies now and they expect people like us to push the boundaries and bring in new ideas and flavours, to create a bit of excitement and premiumise the sector,”​ he said.

Every occasion ​

Supporting the growing trend of premiumisation in the category is Froneri’s push to provide a diverse range of product offerings as possible. According to Najafi, consumers and retailers expect as wide a range as possible to cater to every possible occasion.

“People can buy everyday low-priced products that they expect to see on the shelves, but at the same time they like, every now and then, to try something new. You have to be able to provide all of that – a product for every occasion – and that’s what we always work on,” ​he added.

“We’ve got to be able to offer that breadth of range to cater for every need. Hence, we’ve done a lot of work in terms of sugar reduction where we need to and in terms of free-from, we work really hard with the retailers to meet their needs.”​

‘Ahead of the curve’​

“Manufacturers and people like us have to stay ahead of the curve because the environment is changing all the time. When consumers want indulgent or free-from products, we can offer that whether that’s through brands or own-label.”   ​

As a truly global company, Froneri takes its inspiration for new product lines from each corner of the world. Through this, the manufacturer can see if a product that does well in Africa or New Zealand would be a big hit in Europe.

“The beauty of our business is that it takes so many ideas from every market and looks at trends in the northern and southern hemispheres and works on every opportunity to bring that to Europe or other parts of the world,”​ said Najafi.