Unifine Food & Bake Ingredients UK will be looking at potential opportunities in the retail market in the new year.

Following the acquisition of the business by Dawn Foods in June, Unifine Food & Bake Ingredients UK told British Baker yesterday that the company’s eyes were opened and it wanted to reach more customers with its fine patisserie ingredients, including the ever-increasing home baking market.

Simon Solway, managing director of Unifine, said: “Home baking is growing massively and we are looking more into opportunities in this area,” said Solway. “In addition, we are trying to find packers who can reduce the sizes of our products that would be more suitable to home baking demands.

“Our retail presence is low, as we cater more towards wholesale, the craft bakers and larger organisations. But the home baking market is something that we cannot ignore and could help increase profits.”

The European food ingredients company was taken over by the international family-owned bakery supplier six months ago, which will be fully intergrated into the American-based company next year. Dawn Foods now handles Unifine’s seven manufacturing sites, 10 sales offices in Europe and its brands Sucrea, Fruibel, Caullet and Dethmers.

“We’ve been analysing who’s doing what – both our customers and markets – and the potential growth and attractiveness of these,” added Solway. “The acquisition presents a new range of possibilities to our customers and they are coming on a journey with us as two separate businesses. There’s no overlap between us and Dawn Foods and our customers have a good relationship with both companies.”

Explaining what was in store for the company in 2012, Solway said that looking at market trends would be a key area for the business to develop.

Solway said: “We’re open to new ideas and that is something we will be doing more of next year. We will be looking at new handmade decorations and exclusive high-tech ingredients as a result of this. We aim to launch new ingredient products every month, such as compounds, flavours and mixes that are innovative and affordable, giving us that edge on our competitors.”

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