The unassuming premises of Unique Flavors, in Centurion, house the offices, storage and manufacturing facilities of a business that has gone from strength to strength.
Having advertised on the front cover of FOOD REVIEW 10 years ago, when starting out, Unique Flavors is now a prosperous business with expansion in mind.
‘We started off with very little,’ says owner Johan Smith, ‘only three people. At one stage I was collecting raw materials myself.’
The irony is, despite starting off with such a small staff, Smith emphasises, ‘we are people oriented at Unique Flavors.’
‘I find and see potential in people and when I hire, one of my aims is to uplift people,’ he goes on to say. And, with a staff of 54 people today, it’s no wonder Unique Flavors’ approach is as colourful as its marketing campaigns.
‘We are the creators of original flavours and we believe that the creation of a superior flavour involves using your wildest imagination, challenging your senses and being persistent in your quest for perfection,’ says Smith. These words have become the mantra everyone at Unique Flavors works by.
With HACCP accreditation, and being one of the first companies in SA to achieve ISO certification, there should be no doubt that safety and hygiene are top priorities. This is continuously stressed in the company, being integrated as a business culture, rather than just a process. ‘Around the food safety system,’ quips Smith, ‘we implement our own unique system. We are working with food, and safety is the most important aspect,’ he stresses.
Manufacturers of natural, nature identical and artificial flavours, Unique Flavors believes in creating its own unique top notes. The top note, or key note, is the most important aspect in defining a flavour, and this is what differentiates one flavour house from another.
Having made a name for itself in the local market, Unique Flavors is also a supplier of flavours to many African countries, with the semi-formal and informal sectors making up the majority of its business.
‘In the flavour business we are, very much, dictated to by the customer,’ says Smith. ‘While we concentrate on the mass market, we can also do whatever a more sophisticated market wants.’
Its future goals, Smith believes, ‘are absolutely people-oriented and we strive to build closer relationships with our customers. Trust is vital. If you want long-term business ,you need to build long-term relationships. Without our customers and staff, we are nothing.’
Having started with a good work ethic, integrity, and a drive to consistently please customers, Smith and his wife built a company now ranked amongst some of the top flavour houses in SA. ‘Of the seasoning suppliers, we are one of the largest players at the moment,’ says Smith. But, he emphasises, ‘we are what you see. Nothing more, nothing less, a little bit crazy, and a little bit quirky.’
Unique Flavors is a proudly South African company, privately owned, and has 10 years of experience in the flavour industry.
The team believes in:
• A customer-centric approach where customers drive the business
• Taking the brand promise seriously which is the creation of a superior flavour , challenging the senses and to be persistent in the quest for perfection
• Delivering uncompromised quality
• Selling more than just a product – it’s all about the people and the interaction
• Relationships based on a history of proven integrity
