MONIN bullish on desi flavours

MONIN, the innovative flavour solutions creator and trusted partner for hospitality professionals all over the world, has announced the launch of a new product category named Le Crush de MONIN; specially curated for the Indian market. Initially strawberry, pineapple and mango flavours are being introduced in the range. There is more in the offing as the company is set to introduce more flavours in this category in 2023-24, said Germain Araud – Managing Director, MONIN India Pvt. Ltd.

Germain told that the new product is a non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free product range curated specifically to cater to the diverse Indian palates. The company did extensive R&D and took help of mixologists. They have formulated the flavours and applied them in different combinations, tasted and then decided upon.

While maintaining that strawberry, mango & pineapple are among the most demanded fruit flavours by MONIN India’s customers, he disclosed that “We have become experts in crafting tailored solutions to suit individual tastes. Indeed, we believe that it is this personalised approach that has allowed us to build trusted collaborations that are a great fit for our partners and customers,” expressed the Frenchman.

Popular with Wide Applications

Going further on the reason behind zeroing on these three flavours for the range, Germain stated that strawberry, mango & pineapple are the best selling fruits in India. “Moreover, these three fruit flavours are the most favourable for wide range of applications ranging from milk, water, soda, alcohol, ice-cream, lassi, cakes, pastries, and biscuits,” affirmed Germain.

Dwelling further on the details of Le Crush de MONIN range, Germain asserted, “It contains 35 percent of real fruit content along with real pieces of fruit. So, whether it is a fresh batch of cupcakes, a scrumptious homemade dessert, a drool-worthy topping for ice cream, or a funky cocktail, the crushes can add a fruity punch to myriad drinks or to a dessert session. Each crush is specially made with carefully picked and freshly stored mangoes, strawberries, and pineapples, and comes with the assurance of authenticity and quality associated with MONIN.”

MONIN for India

While talking of MONIN’s growing presence in the Indian market, he informed that they were growing at an exponential rate in India. “The demand for our products saw a new high after the pandemic as more people began experimenting with their drinks at home, giving us a push in retail stores as well. We already have a huge client base ranging from small independent cafes to QSR chains. I am very optimistic about the company’s growth plans in India,” elaborated Germain, while talking further on MONIN’s products’ appeal in India.

According to him, the major clientele for this newly launched product range of MONIN India would be the bakery segment and HORECA in general.

Indeed, India has become a top-priority market for this iconic French brand, which established its wholly- owned subsidiary in Hyderabad as MONIN India Pvt. Ltd., a fully-owned subsidiary of the MONIN group. After 20 years of MONIN’s presence in the Indian market, MONIN India was established in 2019 to assist in the writing of the next chapter in the brand’s Indian journey.

Among other responsibilities to continue the growth story of MONIN in India, Germain is supervising an investment of over Rs. 200 crore in a ‘Make in India’ project in Telangana, to support its customers’ growth, alongside developing innovations curated for the Indian customer base and for growing the brand’s footprint in the Indian market.

In 2018, Monin committed to directly invest Rs.100 crores in India in the first phase, which included the setting up of a manufacturing plant in Telangana and an in-house R&D centre in Hyderabad. In 2021, they expanded their commitment by doubling the amount to Rs.200 crores. In 2021, MONIN India reinforced their presence in India by opening its first owned state-of-the- art studio in the country, at The Dhan Mill in New Delhi, with a second one due to open in Bengaluru in 2023.

Expansion Plans

Regarding expansion of the range, he sounded enthused about. “We are going to extend our Le Crush de MONIN range but can’t disclose the names right now, but we have started the development of new flavours that will extend the possibilities of curations of our valued customers such as bartenders, baristas, Chefs and home bakers,” he pointed out.

Of course, that is not all that MONIN India has set its eyes on. “We want to introduce our own take to some of the Indian/desi flavours and are coming with the desi flavours in the syrup range also. We have already selected the desi flavours, which will be very exciting for our consumers,” he articulated.