Page 27 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2020

Carolyn Creswell has navigated many consumer trends along Carman’s successful journey.
LEFT: Carman’s Aussie Oat Bars were a five-year labour of love to get right.
more than ever before.” Finding and implementing environmentally sustainable
packaging is of the upmost importance, she says, with the food industry having the added challenge of options that also address food safety and the integrity of the product.
“Packaging has been prohibitively expensive but in the last year it has become a number one priority for businesses everywhere. The technology has taken some time to catch up to consumer expectation, but it is catching up. The conversations around this are also much more sophisticated,” Creswell says.
“Once consumers want something, the industry will make it happen.”
SNACKING FOR SUCCESS
The growing popularity of snack foods is another trend the company is witnessing.
“The snacking sector is booming because people want thingsthatareconvenientand
portable. They also want choices that are less processed, whole foods, which are better for them and have sustainable packaging,” Creswell says.
“For Carman’s we run all of that in-house. We have a big team behind product development, packaging development, materials and design. It is the engine of our business.”
The team have about
40 products currently on the go, which is a best-yet for the brand and will determine what makes it to supermarket shelves in the next 12 to 18 months.
Since it began, the Carman’s brand has been associated with hand-crafted muesli.
Creswell says the philosophy is still the same today, even
as it expands its range of snacks, supplies major retailers and 15 international airlines, and exports to more than
30 countries.
“For us it has always been
about real food. Less about no fat,nosugarornocarbs,and
more about using real ingredients and minimal processing. We’re not a health food company.
”A large portion of our portfolio is very good for you and there are some products that are more indulgent, but even those are still better for
“What parents buy for their kids and what kids will eat are two different things. The first attempt was a popcorn bar. It ticked all the boxes in terms of being healthy, but kids didn’t like it very much.
“With every project, I start with, how would I make this at
you than what you would probably be having instead.”
Carman’s latest range, Aussie Oat Bars, was released earlier this year.
It is lunchbox friendly (nut-free recipe), has less than four grams of sugar per serve and a 4.5 Health Star Rating.
The bars were a big project for Creswell, taking five years from ideatofinalproduct.
home? What ingredients would I use? What shape would I make it into, could it be more rustic?
“Then we start in smaller batches and build from there. Top of mind, constantly, is ingredients, price and consumer demand. It is an enormous effort and we launch knowing we worked the hardest we could togetitthere.” ✷
SNACKS & CONVENIENCE
“ For us it has always been about real food. Less about no fat, no sugar or no carbs, and more about using real ingredients and minimal processing.”
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | April 2020 | Food&Drink business | 27