Food & Drink Awards 2020

Page 6 www.lux-review.com LUX 2020 Food & Drink Awards Kouvolan Liquorice has been produced in an uncompromising manner since 1945. The flavour born out of the traditional production method, the right people, a polished recipe, armfuls of love and a supply chain, guarantees the freshness of every liquorice bite. To start, Timo gives us a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into the work they do. “In the 1940’s, after getting into trouble with Russians, the company moved to inner Finland. After the war, there were a lack of raw materials and some of those were under government permits. The company did not get permits to buy soft drink raw materials, but as a gift, the government gave us a permit to buy raw materials to make liquorice. In the 1960’s, English liquorice consultant Mr H. Knoch made a new recipe and we still use that successful recipe today. In 1985, the company was chosen as the best liquorice in Finland. In recent times, the recognition has continued to come our way, in 2015 we were awarded Provincial Entrepreneur of the Year and we have been nominated three times for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year competition.” In comparison to many of the firm’s competitors, Kouvolan Lakritsi Oy are a small business whose passion and love for confectionery manufacturing is demonstrated through their work. Moreover, as Timo goes on to explain, with a creative approach the firm continue to lead the industry. “Most other companies are huge giants, so they don’t have the same kind of passion and they just want to be effective. Instead of bargaining about raw materials, we make products with traditional craftsmanship. Without a warehouse, every bit of our liquorice is also freshly delivered to ensure the consumer receives sweet credibility every time. “Additionally, many of our rivals do not take risks with their marketing and they are slow Established in 1906 in Viborg, Kouvolan Lakritsi was originally a soft drinks factory before later becoming a leading global liquorice manufacturer. Following their success in the Food & Drink Awards 2020, we got in touch with Timo Nisula to find out more. Sep20277 Kouvolan Lakritsi Oy Best Liquorice Manufacturer 2020