there is more than meets the eye when it comes to feinschmecker ...
EATING LOCALLY
THERE IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE WHEN IT COMES TO FEINSCHMECKER... CHEVAUN ROUX TAKES A LOOK AT THE SUCCESS STORY BEHIND THIS GROWING LOCAL MEAT COMPANY Photographs by DYLAN SWART
‘ Another load on its way to SA’s best delis
Polony King’ is a name you may recognise, as this is the brand that was the forerunner for what has become ‘Feinschmecker’. This may not be easier to spell or pronounce (or worse, “give as an email address”, says financial director, Jono Jeffrey) but, as a company and a brand, Feinschmecker certainly does offer a whole lot more.
The factory has been around since 1983 and was taken over by managing director, Alistair Hayward, in 2007. With a change in business direction, he decided there needed to be a change in name too, and, so, Feinschmecker was born. Meaning ‘good taste’ or ‘gourmet’ in German, within this name lies the philosophy of the brand – high-quality, hand-prepared, gourmet meats. Feinschmecker embraces a European method of manufacturing and workmanship, from the warm German colours on the company’s logo and the
Jono Jeffrey, Alistair Hayward and James Wessels (manufacturing director)
foodandhome.co.za
JUNE 2015
21
way in which they handle their meats, to their outstanding customer service. All products under the Feinschmecker label are 100 per cent meat, and each and every product comes with its own story. “The background to each product explains why it is made in that way, why it has a better flavour and why the quality is better,” says Alistair. And, although 90 per cent of the products are made in a German style using German recipes, they boast influences from across Europe – France, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Portugal and the UK – reflecting an age-old traditional style of curing and smoking the meats. “Ask me about any product and I’ll tell you its story,” says Alistair. “The ham?” I ask. In no time at all, Alistair launches into the details: “Our hams are whole-muscle, which means that, when you slice through them, they don’t just fall to pieces but remain intact, which is how hams are made in Europe.” Although, he does acknowledge that, even in Europe, corners are cut: “Sometimes they try to speed up the process by cooking a salami – we would never cook a salami!” These are the little things Alistair believes set the company and its products apart from its competitors. Along with their exclusive brand of meats, comes their unique service delivery. A team of representatives, known as the ‘continental deli
22
JUNE 2015
specialists’, travels to each of their stores to train butchers and deli owners on how to cut their meats, store them, prepare them for slicing – even how to use and maintain the slicing machines. “The crux of the business lies within the fact that we straddle the line between being a commercial meat processor that can supply big-chain clients, and being the niche deli supplier to any small business that orders our products,” says Alistair. With this comes the responsibility to both types of clients in delivery of the same quality and service. Feinschmecker prides itself on the unique spice combinations that are used on many of the meats: “We make our own spice recipes, using imported raw ingredients, and use only natural woodchips when smoking the meats.” This, along with the curing and pickling process, is what contributes to the distinctive and full flavour of the meats. Now, there is also a new product being added to the list – a basted and ready-to-go pork rib. Again, Feinschmecker has mixed and created a unique sauce, “and we believe our barbecue basting is better than the competitors… but that’s not to say
there aren’t really good products on the market... we just believe in our brand.” The thread of creating something that is not only unique to them, but also appeals to the consumer, runs through every vein of the business. There has been a growing revolution towards specialist meats and Alistair acknowledges that Feinschmecker has ridden the wave of growth. “At the beginning, I couldn’t give away a pack of chorizo, let alone sell it. No one knew what it was!” Now, he has individuals knocking on his door, whose former lifelong allegiance to boerewors has
Esther Kubeka filling chorizo
made way for new (and undeniably delicious) styles of meat. What’s more, these enlightened consumers have now added Feinschmecker’s products to their daily culinary repertoire – a lifestyle change that Feinschmecker is ready and eager to supply. Another trend Alistair and his team have picked up on is that the South African consumer has become even more perceptive when it comes to the provenance of what they are buying, how much they are paying and what they are getting for that money spent – therefore, a product that consistently offers exceptional quality is moving higher and higher up the shopping list. “We’re selling an old-school style of dining – from your prosciutto crudo to your mortadella, salami and ham,” says Alistair. Therefore, by tapping into this growing culinary consciousness, Feinschmecker is able to further help consumers recognise the international quality being produced right on our doorsteps. “In the landscape of the food economy, we are looking to create the ambiance of an up-market deli – bringing it to people’s supermarkets and into their homes, so that each
24
JUNE 2015
and every consumer is receiving the experience (and the taste) they paid for.”
47 Machine Street, Elsburg, Germiston, Joburg, 011-827-7644; 10 Brass Street, Brackenfell, Cape Town, 021-286-0004; feinschmecker.co.za
THERE IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE WHEN IT COMES TO FEINSCHMECKER... CHEVAUN ROUX TAKES A LOOK AT THE SUCCESS STORY BEHIND THIS GROWING LOCAL MEAT COMPANY Photographs by DYLAN SWART
‘ Another load on its way to SA’s best delis
Polony King’ is a name you may recognise, as this is the brand that was the forerunner for what has become ‘Feinschmecker’. This may not be easier to spell or pronounce (or worse, “give as an email address”, says financial director, Jono Jeffrey) but, as a company and a brand, Feinschmecker certainly does offer a whole lot more.
The factory has been around since 1983 and was taken over by managing director, Alistair Hayward, in 2007. With a change in business direction, he decided there needed to be a change in name too, and, so, Feinschmecker was born. Meaning ‘good taste’ or ‘gourmet’ in German, within this name lies the philosophy of the brand – high-quality, hand-prepared, gourmet meats. Feinschmecker embraces a European method of manufacturing and workmanship, from the warm German colours on the company’s logo and the
Jono Jeffrey, Alistair Hayward and James Wessels (manufacturing director)
foodandhome.co.za
JUNE 2015
21
way in which they handle their meats, to their outstanding customer service. All products under the Feinschmecker label are 100 per cent meat, and each and every product comes with its own story. “The background to each product explains why it is made in that way, why it has a better flavour and why the quality is better,” says Alistair. And, although 90 per cent of the products are made in a German style using German recipes, they boast influences from across Europe – France, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Portugal and the UK – reflecting an age-old traditional style of curing and smoking the meats. “Ask me about any product and I’ll tell you its story,” says Alistair. “The ham?” I ask. In no time at all, Alistair launches into the details: “Our hams are whole-muscle, which means that, when you slice through them, they don’t just fall to pieces but remain intact, which is how hams are made in Europe.” Although, he does acknowledge that, even in Europe, corners are cut: “Sometimes they try to speed up the process by cooking a salami – we would never cook a salami!” These are the little things Alistair believes set the company and its products apart from its competitors. Along with their exclusive brand of meats, comes their unique service delivery. A team of representatives, known as the ‘continental deli
22
JUNE 2015
specialists’, travels to each of their stores to train butchers and deli owners on how to cut their meats, store them, prepare them for slicing – even how to use and maintain the slicing machines. “The crux of the business lies within the fact that we straddle the line between being a commercial meat processor that can supply big-chain clients, and being the niche deli supplier to any small business that orders our products,” says Alistair. With this comes the responsibility to both types of clients in delivery of the same quality and service. Feinschmecker prides itself on the unique spice combinations that are used on many of the meats: “We make our own spice recipes, using imported raw ingredients, and use only natural woodchips when smoking the meats.” This, along with the curing and pickling process, is what contributes to the distinctive and full flavour of the meats. Now, there is also a new product being added to the list – a basted and ready-to-go pork rib. Again, Feinschmecker has mixed and created a unique sauce, “and we believe our barbecue basting is better than the competitors… but that’s not to say
there aren’t really good products on the market... we just believe in our brand.” The thread of creating something that is not only unique to them, but also appeals to the consumer, runs through every vein of the business. There has been a growing revolution towards specialist meats and Alistair acknowledges that Feinschmecker has ridden the wave of growth. “At the beginning, I couldn’t give away a pack of chorizo, let alone sell it. No one knew what it was!” Now, he has individuals knocking on his door, whose former lifelong allegiance to boerewors has
Esther Kubeka filling chorizo
made way for new (and undeniably delicious) styles of meat. What’s more, these enlightened consumers have now added Feinschmecker’s products to their daily culinary repertoire – a lifestyle change that Feinschmecker is ready and eager to supply. Another trend Alistair and his team have picked up on is that the South African consumer has become even more perceptive when it comes to the provenance of what they are buying, how much they are paying and what they are getting for that money spent – therefore, a product that consistently offers exceptional quality is moving higher and higher up the shopping list. “We’re selling an old-school style of dining – from your prosciutto crudo to your mortadella, salami and ham,” says Alistair. Therefore, by tapping into this growing culinary consciousness, Feinschmecker is able to further help consumers recognise the international quality being produced right on our doorsteps. “In the landscape of the food economy, we are looking to create the ambiance of an up-market deli – bringing it to people’s supermarkets and into their homes, so that each
24
JUNE 2015
and every consumer is receiving the experience (and the taste) they paid for.”
47 Machine Street, Elsburg, Germiston, Joburg, 011-827-7644; 10 Brass Street, Brackenfell, Cape Town, 021-286-0004; feinschmecker.co.za
