ETHIOPIA – Puratos, a global provider of solutions for bakery, patisserie and chocolate, has opened a new innovation hub at its subsidiary in Ethiopia, dedicated to nurturing bakery and pastry creativity in the country.

The Hub, which is the first of its kind for the nation will serve artisans, quick-service restaurants, cafes, hotels, supermarkets, and restaurants with the focus to provide a place to develop creativity and transform concepts into finished foods.

According to reports by AfroLeap, the center is open for startups and entrepreneurs who want to delve into the pastry world.

Having specialists in bakery, patisserie, and chocolate making, the Hub will share professional know-how and industrial equipment to develop new recipes and product concepts.

“This hub, the first of its kind in Ethiopia, will be a unique place for our customers to develop their skills, spark their creativity and transform their concepts into concrete delicious, finished foods” said Zeco the managing Director for Puratos Ethiopia.

Puratos headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, offers a full range of innovative products, raw materials and application expertise for artisans, industry, retailers and food service customers in the bakery, patisseries and chocolate sector.

The company entered the Ethiopian market in 2019 through a joint venture with Dachi Manufacturing PLC, a locally based company already active in the manufacturing and distribution of bakery and patisserie ingredients.

Opened at the cost of Birr 300 million (US$4m), Puratos Ethiopia is currently producing 20 pastry and bakery ingredients such as cake mix, powder mix, Doughnut mix, toppings, glazing, and fillings.

The company envisions to export to neighbouring countries such as Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea and grow its product offering to 200.

“The new factory and this innovation hub equipped with state-of-the-art technology will enable us to meet the growing demands of our customers for high-quality products.

“We are so proud to deepen our presence in Ethiopia in particular and Africa in general. We are always committed to continue investing in innovation, research and development,” said Edouard Pot, General Manager of Puratos.

Intending to propel skills in bakery, patisserie, and chocolate making further, the Global food giant has a network of 88 Innovation Centers.

The Belgian food processor operates in over a hundred countries and recently opened shop in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ivory Coast through joint venture initiatives with local partners in the respective countries.

By 2030 Puratos aspires to continuously enable 1,000 young people from developing countries to live their passion in one of its bakery schools.

The company has a clear roadmap for increasing its presence in Africa which will be concretised through the increase of production capacity and the opening of new subsidiaries and innovation hubs in the coming years.

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