Chocolate and cocoa products maker Barry Callebaut has entered into a long-term outsourcing agreement with Atlantic Stark – a Serbian manufacturer of chocolate, biscuits and candies.
The agreement makes Barry Callebaut one of Atlantic Stark’s compound suppliers and the sole supplier of chocolate.
'Sustainable Chocolate'
Rogier van Sligter, co-president of EMEA at Barry Callebaut, commented, “This outsourcing agreement is an important step to serve the still largely captive Southeastern European markets with chocolate and compound.
“Thanks to Barry Callebaut’s Cocoa Horizons certification, we will also create more visibility for sustainable chocolate in Southeastern Europe, something both our customers and consumers are keenly interested in.”
Recently, the chocolate maker announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the Belgium-based Europe Chocolate Company (ECC) for an undisclosed amount.
First Regional Customer
Atlantic Stark is the first regional customer to receive supplies from Barry Callebaut’s new factory in Novi Sad in Serbia, the chocolate maker added.
Deliveries to Atlantic Stark will commence immediately, and part of the volume will include cocoa from its Cocoa Horizons programme. It is Barry Callebaut’s preferred vehicle to implement sustainability initiatives.
Launched in 1922, Atlantic Stark operates in Serbia and the Western Balkans. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the agreement.
In April of this year, Barry Callebaut reported a drop in first-half net profit, with sales volumes falling for the second consecutive quarter.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Supply Chain news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
