According to the annual forecast by flavour house McCormick, trends show that consumers throughout the world are demanding more spices than ever before, with spend in that sector of the market in the US alone estimated to be worth 1,6 billion dollars a year. Tricia Fitchet (TF) spoke to Shreef Abbas (SA), CEO of Cape Town based Spice Mecca, a leading player in the local industry, about its offerings of spices, herbs and blends and how he perceives the local market’s performance.
TF: Will South Africans be following overseas trends and eating more spicy foods? McCormick’s predicts the top 10 flavour pairings for 2011 to include bold and unusual flavours such as fennel and peri-peri; roasted curry powder with wild mushrooms as well as chili pepper with hibiscus.
SA: People are definitely eating more spices – in the UK, for example, the unofficial national dish is now curry and rice, not Yorkshire pudding! There is a strong move towards spices – especially those regarded as “good for you”, such as fennel and turmeric. However, flavour pairings are very niche and I don’t believe the South African psyche is ready for them yet. If we could, we’d certainly market the benefits of hibiscus, which is huge overseas. Exotic flavours may come here in time but, given the recession and limited disposable income, I can’t see them taking off now.
TF: Have you always had a passion for spices?
SA: No, I started out in life as a teacher but after a while I needed a new challenge. I had occasionally helped my father-in-law sell spices from his home industry, so I decided to join him in 1992. Times were tough with very little access to capital, but my wife Shamilah (then principal technologist at the S.A. Medical Research Institute) encouraged me to take a new direction. We started selling pre-packed products for a Durban-based spice company and Spice Mecca was born by default when that company decided to cut us out as the middleman. I knew I could give consumers good-quality spices at reasonable prices so I broke away and soon afterwards Shoprite gave me a break, asking me to supply spices to their U-Save stores. Listings in Shoprite Checkers, Pick n Pay and Spar followed. We are very proud of our growth - from a mom-and-pop operation in 1993 to a company with more than 70 dedicated employees currently. Our product ranges include individual spice sachets, spice blends (Tastes of India and Tastes of the Cape) as well as the Cook Easy range of convenience products. Most of our spices are imported, with peripherals such as allspice and aniseed purchased from other importers. We import directly from Bulgaria, Rumania and India.
TF: What makes your company unique and differentiates it from others in the spice arena?
SA: Besides exceptional taste and flavour, we use excellent-quality products and are without match when it comes to the intellectual capital, research and constant innovation that go into each product.
TF: How are you placed in the market in terms of volume?
SA: We supply the local market with approximately 25 tons of product per month. In terms of market share, our individual spice sachets hold 60% and we believe that figure is directly related to our fair prices and unbeatable quality. We export to Namibia and, you might be surprised to know, we also send a small amount to India where our Tastes of India range is popular.
TF: Your individual spice sachets have been on shelf for many years – how do they perform?
SA: This range is the most powerful seller in the Western Cape! As they have been on shelf for such a long time, we decided a packaging revamp was in order to give more of a spotlight presence on shelf. Four bright colors give a more powerful brand presence: the red band indicates a curry or masala, purple means whole spices, seasonings are orange and herbs are packaged in green. We have great confidence in our new look and hope to see a 35% increase in sales.
TF: How have consumers received the Tastes of India and Tastes of the Cape blended spice ranges?
SA: We knew South Africans wanted convenience, but we had no idea when we introduced the range that it would be so popular! Tastes of India with its six different curry blends was the first to market, followed by the six traditional Cape blends in Tastes of the Cape. They originated when one of the Pick n Pay buyers asked us to develop a butter chicken blend of spices at a good price point. Consumers love them for their authentic taste and convenience.
TF: How has the recession affected the spice market?
SA: Our business has definitely grown. While many companies have cut back or slowed down on new product development, my approach has been to step up innovation and expansion. We did make some adjustments – for example, we saw local suppliers adding huge margins on imported goods, so we countered that by importing products ourselves. During difficult times, it has always been my marketing strategy that skills, relationships, marketing and flexibility pull you through. With that in mind, we have stepped up our advertising and increased market share to almost 60%.
TF: Besides Spice Mecca’s spice range, a number of convenient products such as your instant wet stuffing mix, the Cook Easy range and Chana and Pea flours have recently been launched.
SA: Our Cook Easy range, stuffing and flour are aimed at the customer who wants a quality product that is convenient, authentic and satisfies when it comes to taste. There is a sense of comfort when customers buy our products – they know the quality is consistent and excellent.
TF: How will the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) impact your business?
SA: The CPA has spurred us to do even better ‒ HACCP is our total focus currently and we have Norah Hayes, one of the most respected HACCP consultants, on board to help us achieve that certification. We are making sure our house is maintained in good order ‒ we know all our suppliers personally and will invest in resources to provide total traceability.
TF: Are there any new developments in the pipeline?
SA: We are taking a stand at the Gulf Food Show, our first showing internationally, which is a tremendously exciting opportunity. We have almost completed our new, state-of-the-art facility amounting to 3 500m², which will certainly raise the bar in terms of food safety, hygiene standards and suppl- chain efficiency. Watch this space because, once it is fully operational, we will have the capacity to blend 100 tons per day, allowing us to cater for national and international markets.
