Lareka highlights key seasonal opportunities from multi-size bar manufacturing
Henk Somers of Lareka, pictured earlier this year at Chocoa in Amsterdam, has stepped back from his role as MD, but remains with the business.
Netherlands-based packaging machinery business Lareka has encouraged manufacturers to make us of multiple-sized bar options, which its lines can readily enable for major seasonal occasions including Christmas, writes Neill Barston.
As the company has noted, creating a ‘sweet strategy’ offering varying sizes of products can pay dividends in terms of delivering greater variety and enhances product engagement.
Speaking on its call to the sector, the company noted that providing bars of mixed sizes can help in several respects, including broadening appeal – switching between anything from more standard format 70g options, through to mini 20g offerings, as well as smaller bars offering pairing opportunities with coffee or wine, while larger bars offer a premium gifting experience.
As the company noted, smaller portioned chocolate can represent a fine single serving that also potentially reduces waste, as well as mini-bars delivering something slightly different that does not distract from a core line-up of chocolate confectionery.
pic: Lareka
Confectionery Production has previously written on the firm’s machinery, that includes its BTB25, which has targeted the lower volume, bespoke artisan chocolate market, as well as its NP60, designed to deliver at around 60 tablets per minute, and have both made a key impact since their release in recent year.s
Henk Somers, of Lareka, spoke on the potential for mixing sizes of chocolate products. He said: “We know from years of experience in the chocolate packaging industry that many chocolatiers shy away from producing smaller bars. Why? Because when hand wrapping is the only option, the business case just doesn’t add up. It’s labor-intensive and costly to create smaller bars at scale.
“But here’s the twist: chocolatiers who own a Lareka machine can tackle this challenge whenever they want!
Some opt to order an additional size set with their initial order while others come back to us after a few years of production to order a size set for smaller bars. Why? Because with our modular system, the machine makes wrapping smaller bars efficient, scalable, and, most importantly, profitable.
Finally, there’s a business case for mini-bars and we’re here to help you seize that opportunity. Because, at the end of the day, chocolate bars need friends too.”
