Contact Magazine April 2018

INNOVATORS
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cream in Trinidad and Tobago. “Having
an understanding of the distribution
side means that we can go to market
with ice cream products a lot faster,
because we have the infrastructure of
cold storage, trucks, and a knowledge
base of frozen products.”
Creamery Novelties is
established
A few years ago, businessman Paul
Gabriel approached the HADCO Group
about distributing a local ice cream
he wanted to produce. He had already
completed a lot of research and
development on the manufacturing
process for a new brand. After much
discussion, a 50 per cent partnership
was born, Creamery Novelties.
Located on the e TecK Diamond
Vale Industrial Estate, the new plant
consists of two buildings, of 10,000
square feet each. One will house
the ice cream, and the other the ice
cream cones. Production starts in
May, creating 25 new jobs at startup.
The plant machinery was sourced
from China, while the manufacturing
process is uniquely designed to have
very few touch points, from mixing
to freezing, in keeping with a wellcontrolled
sanitary environment. “A
lot of work has gone into researching
the equipment, and we have started
creating recipes for the various
flavours,” Hadad says.
Taste testing and research and
development were done locally,
working with the Caribbean Industrial
Research Institute, CARIRI. Product
development, including packaging
and design, was also sourced locally.
“In addition, we will be collaborating
with Caribbean CGA with respect to
ingredient sourcing,” Hadad explains.
The ice cream is initially in the
basic flavours of chocolate, vanilla
and coconut, with more endemic
local flavours to be added as the
product is rolled out. The firm will
focus on bringing novelty products
to the market such as an ice cream
lolly called Creamee, as well as an
old favourite, Choc Ice. Another
innovative item will be a “Dairy
Dainty”, which is five cubes of
chocolate-coated ice cream in a box.
This distinctive product was originally
manufactured in Trinidad and Tobago
by Paul Gabriel’s family more than 30
years ago.
The future of HADCO
In the short term, HADCO is keen
to see how the product performs in
the Trinidad and Tobago market, and
to understand consumer behaviour.
“We want to start exporting as soon
as possible, and will engage our
distributor network across our 12
export markets,” John Hadad says.
“We feel positive that the product will
sell very well throughout Caricom,
and also in a few Central American
markets.
“Creamery Novelties targets the
general consumer and affordability
– we want to produce a good quality
product at the right price. With our
focus around novelties and flavours,
the Group can become a dominant
ice cream manufacturing force in the
region within five years.
“HADCO is owned by a
Trinbagonian family, with Trinbagonian
employees, and we want to continue
to exist here, to grow our employee
base and to grow our business. And
we believe that the only way to do
this would be to further diversify into
manufacturing, in order to become
self-sufficient with respect to foreign
exchange earnings.”
16
Trinidad
and Tobago Chamber
of Industry and Commerce
www.chamber.org.tt/contact-magazine