Barry Callebaut strengthens ties with Garudafood to distribute Van Houten Professional chocolate products in Indonesia

The world’s leading chocolate and cocoa manufacturer said it will partner with PT Sinarniaga Sejahtera, a subsidiary of Garudafood, to bring the compound chocolate range of the Van Houten Professional brand to bakeries, chocolatiers and home bakers in Indonesia.

Under the terms of the agreement, the range will be available to professional users of chocolate and compound in the foodservice market in Indonesia. This includes artisan and chain bakeries, cafes, restaurants, cash-and-carries and the fast-growing homebaking segment, the Swiss-based Group said.  

Heritage brand

Van Houten Professional is Barry Callebaut’s European heritage brand that has already established a leadership presence in Asia.

Shuo-yen Choo, Managing Director Chocolate Indonesia and Vice President for Food Manufacturing in Southeast Asia for Barry Callebaut, said Van Houten Professional is rooted in a European legacy of more than 190 years and the brand “promises to be a game changer, with a full range of chocolate and compound products that has been adapted to the technical needs of the Asian chocolatier​”.

Paulus Tedjosutikno, Director of Garudafood, said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Barry Callebaut on the distribution of the Van Houten Professional compound chocolate products. By leveraging our foodservice channel, we are confident to be a notable player in the growing consumption of chocolate products in Indonesia​.”

The new agreement is an extension of the strategic relationship between Barry Callebaut and Garudafood that was first established in 2015, and currently focuses on an industrial supply of compound chocolate through two chocolate factories in Indonesia located in Gresik, East Java and Rancaekek, West Java.

In a statement, Barry Callebaut said the two companies are committed to further growth in the compound chocolate market in Indonesia.

Sustainably-sourced cocoa 

The full range of Van Houten Professional products have 100% sustainably-sourced cocoa via the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, positively impacting livelihoods in cocoa farming communities in Sulawesi.

The parties did not to disclose any further terms of the agreement, but said it will start with products commercially available in the market from March this year.