MSP Issue 26

case study
realized that the future lies in the
large retail market, where specialty
stores like ourselves would soon
face difficulties. So we had to focus
on what makes us unique. This led
us to particular products, such as
our ‘Kohlroulade’ (cabbage leaves
stuffed with minced meat) and pork
fillet in puff pastry–products for
which consumers would visit us
specifically. We came up with the
idea to package them and make them
suitable for retail.“
Convincing the retailer
BARD’s jump into the convenience
segment all started with the
‘Kohlroulade’, today still the
company’s bestseller. Richard Bard:
„I manually started packaging and
labelling these products in provisional
trays with stretch film, so that I could
present them to the retailers. The
feedback was positive, but I was also
given some homework. Comments
for example concerned traceability,
HACCP, professional packaging and
labelling, gastro trays for selling
though supermarket counters, and
several more. With regard to food
safety and hygiene, I asked for
support from the University of Applied
Sciences in Trier, which has a faculty
specialized in food technology.”
we decided to separate ourselves
from the butchery business by
fully focusing on semi-finished and
finished products for retailers.”
BARD’s latest range of single gourmet
meals is aimed at consumers that like
to enjoy good food fast and without
complications. These products are
not bought by families, but by people
that prefer a ready-to-eat yet delicious
meal in their lunch break, where every
minute counts, or in the evening after
work. This ambitious market segment
not only demands convenient
handling, but also excellent taste. If
those conditions are met, it is willing
to pay a reasonable price. BARD’s
newly introduced gourmet range
consists of nine different ready meals
in single portions, among which, off
course, the famous ‘Kohlroulade’
in bacon sauce, but also the classic
beef roulade and vegetable burger in
creamy mushroom sauce. All these
products are offered in sealed trays
with a four-colour printed sleeve with
viewing window. Their high-quality
appearance underlines BARD’s
business requirements.
airPET® Touch – the
tray that keeps cool
What makes this new range of ready
meals special is that they are supplied
in so-called airPET® Touch trays,
manufactured by Silverplastics in
Germany. Alexander Gehlen: „Such
trays are suitable for pasteurization
and sterilization, extremely
lightweight and heat resistant, which
makes their handling even easier.
Sealed airPET® Touch trays can
be placed straight from the freezer
or refrigerator into the consumer’s
oven or microwave, with the tray
able to withstand temperatures of
up to 200 °C. Due to its extraordinary
isolation properties, the outside of
To discuss packaging issues, BARD
and packaging expert SEALPAC met
at the IFFA exhibition in Frankfurt in
1998. It was the start of a decadeslong
and trusting partnership. The
first tests were performed as true
teamwork on a semi-automatic
traysealer with a more or less suitable
tool, which allowed for packaging
under modified atmosphere. Owing
to this more professional packaging,
larger retailers started taking an
interest in BARD’s products and
accepted the company as their
specialty partner. But soon BARD
reached its limits in terms of capacity
and had to rethink its general market
orientation. Richard Bard: „In the end
Bard provides first-class products, including some regional specialities, in a
consistent high quality. / Bard предлагает первоклассные продукты высокого
качества, в том числе некоторые местные деликатесы.
38 | MSP Magazine • Junе/July 2017