Reinvention and innovation at Barry Callebaut

In this exclusive video interview, filmed at Barry Callebaut’s factory in Weise, Belgium, chief innovation, sustainability and quality officer Pablo Perversi talked about the role the chocolate maker has in advancing the industry.

“Chocolate manufacturing has evolved tremendously over the years​,” said Perversi. “If you look at the history of chocolate, which is very varied and has evolved in many different countries, but we’ve accelerated the rate of innovation of the industry by just recently launching the fourth variety of chocolate ​[Ruby].”​

Three key pillars​

Barry Callebaut’s vision is driven by three key pillars, described as reinventing the future, leading in trends and creating new chocolate experiences. To this end, the manufacturer is working on a wide range of innovations in chocolate, including vegan and vegetarian variants, as well as adding pre- and probiotics.

Commenting on the trends that dominate the chocolate market in the UK, Perversi added: “All together the UK follows many of the same patterns you see in other places. Sugar reduction is one of the very important trends. Consumers want healthier choices and therefore trying to manage the intake of sugar is one of them – without any compromise on quality.”​

He then went on the discuss the impact Brexit will have on Barry Callebaut, as well as teasing a new innovation set to launch soon.

Meanwhile, a business-to-business (B2B) producer should work to understand the consumer’s needs as much as the customer’s,​​ Barry Callebaut has claimed.