Solei products five years on: emphasis on quality and affordability |09 June 2014

In May 2009 when the Solei Company Ltd took over the production of tomato, chilli sauces and jam among others, the aim was not only to ensure availability of these products but also to maintain their consistency and competitive prices in the face of competition.

Speaking to Nation on the fifth anniversary of the move, John Toussaint, the company’s managing director, said the Solei Company Ltd has succeeded in achieving all the above and more namely in terms of new products introduced but admits there are challenges to overcome.

“The priority of the factory was to make available following a period of frequent shortages products which originally the Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) and the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) had been producing,” said Mr Toussaint.

Mr Toussaint noted that a lot of emphasis was placed on ensuring the consistency of the products so as to maintain consumer satisfaction and the popularity before eventually introducing new ones.
Gradually the company also moved to improve the labelling and packaging of the products while at the same time paying particular attention to its brand name giving it as much visibility as possible.

“While we have striven to maintain the consistency of the tomato and chilli sauces and keeping their originality and flavour, we have gradually improved their presentation as well,” Mr Toussaint pointed out.

Mr Toussaint also explained that in its effort to give consumer satisfaction, it stopped producing the extra hot chilli sauce and concentrated instead on producing a chilli sauce which is better appreciated.

“We have ensured that we produce a good chilli sauce whereby there was no longer the need for an extra hot sauce,” he noted.

Another product which Mr Toussaint said his company did not make any changes to the content is the mix fruit jam. There again it was only the labelling and container which was modified and the company in due course introduced the star fruit jam.

“Once the company had managed to stabilise production of the mentioned products it resumed production of the sweet and sour sauce and there again only modifying the labelling.

Mr Toussaint noted that significant modifications were carried out on the ginger and garlic sauce.

“Previously this was produced from imported ginger and garlic paste which were being blended locally and sold as a sauce, something we wanted to improve on,” Mr Toussaint said.

“I wanted it to be more like the ginger and garlic we traditionally use in our dishes at home and this is a paste after it had been ground,” Mr Toussaint added.

He therefore moved on to use fresh ginger and garlic found locally which are transformed into the much loved and appreciated fresh ginger and garlic paste we know today.
 
Like previously mentioned much effort and emphasis has been placed on improving the labelling and packaging of the different products. These include flexi packs and easy squeeze plastic packaging, larger and more colourful labels better highlighting the company’s logo.

Five years on, with the continued increase in popularity and the use of Solei brand products, in spite of the market being flooded by a large variety of imported sauces and paste, Mr Toussaint said his company’s products have over the years gained a lot of popularity and their well deserved place on the shelves next to other imported products.

With the increasing concern among consumers about the long list of ingredients and additives being used in imported condiments, many are opting for locally produced sauces and paste instead.

“The advantages of our products are that they are produced locally and dissatisfied consumers can walk in anytime to query about a product found not to his or her satisfaction,” Mr Toussaint noted.

More recently Solei Company Ltd  introduced the much loved chilli punch, the barbecue sauce in two different flavours as well as a pasta sauce and has plans in the future to continue introducing new products.

“Again all these products have been inspired by our traditional Creole way of cooking and they are very much appreciated for marinades and curries,” added Mr Toussaint.

Five years on, Mr Toussaint said he is satisfied with the way his company has developed and innovated in terms of the different new products introduced.

“We are also satisfied in terms of the quality and standard of our products,” he added.

“But I have to say that we are faced with new challenges all the time and right now for instance our biggest challenge is to continue to find ways to make the prices of our products more competitive faced with all the imported products but at the same time maintaining their quality, standard as well as popularity,” Mr Toussaint pointed out.

He said he owes the success of his company to his great passion for what he does and the commitment and devotion of his small team of workers.

“In manufacturing you have to be passionate and committed, you have to understand your market and the Seychelles market is unique,” Mr Toussaint said.

Branding is another aspect of the company’s success on which Mr Toussaint and his team place a lot of emphasis.

“Our aim from the start was to attribute Solei brand to quality and ensure consumers do not think  twice before buying such products and this we have succeeded in doing but must continue to maintain,” added Mr Toussaint.

Describing his production team as probably the best around, Mr Toussaint said this is because a lot of emphasis is put on the welfare of the staff, be it in terms of remuneration or social wellbeing in general.

“Members of staff are all very much aware that we are a small private company and we have to be productive to survive in this competitive market and once every one understands that we will go a long way,” Mr Toussaint pointed out, adding that the company does its best to reward its workers.

He stressed that for the next five years the company will focus on consolidating its gains and successes, continue to innovate to keep up with competition, continue to find ways to bring down its production costs so as to remain affordable to consumers and also start exploring the possibility to export Solei brand products.

“We want to look further and export our products but we have to be more competitive in our prices. However, the future looks good and promising and we are very much encouraged,” Mr Toussaint said.

M-A.L