At the end of August, Vladimir Izmailov, a journalist from thr "Myasnoy Ryad" magazine, met with Olivier Picard, CEO of ALLWIN.

- Monsieur Picard! In 2006, the company opened a Russian representative office in Moscow. What has happened in these almost twenty years?

– You're right, the company has been operating in the Russian market for 19 years, and that's a long time. Over the years, we have been able to build business partnerships with leading companies in the food industry in Russia. We started small as a small representative office of an ingredient company, but in 2014 we opened a Research and Development Center, and we were the first to do so, and in 2018 we launched a plant in the Moscow Region that operates in accordance with international quality standards, and we remain true to these principles. Our company's mission is to develop partnerships. We are interested in our partners being successful in business, being able to scale it and find new opportunities for themselves. In order to respond more quickly to the challenges of the market, last year we upgraded production, increased the number of production lines, and expanded our warehouse space for both raw materials and finished products. This allows us to be a reliable partner and ensure uninterrupted product deliveries to our customers. Today, the total production capacity of the plant is 45 thousand tons per year. And we don't plan to stop there. – You sell not only ingredients, but also ready-made technological solutions. The ingredients industry requires serious scientific solutions. What does your scientific base look like? – Our research and development center was designed and implemented to provide an integrated approach to solving the challenges faced by modern food and beverage manufacturers. Our laboratories are developing solutions for meat, fish, snack, confectionery, and bakery industries, and we are actively developing solutions for beverages, dairy products, and ice cream. A staff of flavorists, technologists, developers, technologists, applicationists, chefs has been formed in each of the areas. Our job is to create unique solutions tailored to the individual needs of each of our clients. And we are glad that our partners trust us and win the hearts of consumers with us. After all, our very name contains the message: ALLWIN (if you follow the literal translation) – "everyone wins." This reflects our approach to building long-term partnerships and interacting with our suppliers, and, consequently, business development. – Innovative solutions in the field of ingredients… How relevant is this topic to you? Or does the company adhere to rather conservative positions? – I would say this: the company has an interesting relationship with time, because we strive and have the opportunity to "look into the future." The products we are working on today will appear on store shelves or on the menus of famous restaurants in a very short time. In our developments, we rely not only on technology expertise, but also on market research. We see how the market and consumer preferences in different product categories are changing, as trends move from one category to another. We can forward this question to our clients: why do they work with us? And there will be one answer: our company is a leader in innovation. After all, we not only offer new ideas and solutions, but also really bring them to life. – The Russian market is literally being "stormed" by Asian manufacturers. On the other hand, the policy of import substitution among Russian companies does not lose its relevance. How do you feel in the face of fierce competition (including price competition)? – Competition is always a necessary condition for the development of any industry. To be honest, we don't see Asian manufacturers as a threat. Our business is based on local production, and we have chosen this strategy for a long time. First of all, we are thinking about the sustainability of the business and the guarantees of the supply of products to our customers, and, of course, we are interested in their success. How do we feel? I answer: absolutely sure. – What trends can you identify in the Russian segment of ingredients for the food industry, and for meat processing in particular? – The main trend is a faster change in consumer taste preferences. The second trend is an increase in the speed of life, lack of time for cooking and, as a result, an increase in demand for ready–made food. And here completely different solutions are required in terms of cooking technology and the ingredients that are used for this. – How is the current year going for you? Are there any work features that have emerged over the last six months? – The current year is developing positively for us. The company is strengthening its position in our traditional business areas and actively developing new ones. We are strong in providing combined solutions for taste, aroma and texture. And of course, since today so much attention is paid to the taste of dishes and products, we are stepping up our positions in the development and production of flavor solutions. – What new products would you like to present to Russian meat processors at the Agroprodmash-2025 exhibition? – At the exhibition, we will present new products in four main areas. The first and most important, in our opinion, are solutions related to innovations in flavoring. Taste is one of the key parameters that consumers pay attention to when buying. The tastes that are popular in the Asian region are currently trending; as a rule, these are spicy and sweet-sour taste trends. Spices from the Middle East are gaining more and more popularity among our consumers. And the mixing of flavors (spicy, sweet-spicy, sweet-sour) is interesting to a new generation of consumers – zoomers. At the exhibition, we will also present solutions for healthy hedonism, another trend that is gaining popularity: the desire to have fun, but without harming health, is becoming more widespread. And, of course, the topic that will always be relevant is solutions that make it possible to approach production issues rationally.

– What are the company's plans in the medium term?

– A customer's choice is always a product that they find delicious. And our strategy prioritizes the further development of this particular area – focusing on taste preferences. With our highly professional expertise in creating flavor solutions and knowledge about the taste profiles of our local consumers, we are confident that we can help our clients become even more successful in developing their business. After all, consumers benefit first of all by getting a product of excellent quality and taste.