Barry Callebaut has reported what it describes as a strong sales performance for the first half of the year, with sales revenue growth of 8% - compared with 2.5% growth in the market as a whole - and EBIT up 20.6%. Net profit was up 32.9%. The company confirmed its mid-term guidance.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group, said: “We had a very strong performance in the first six months of the current fiscal year, which was supported by all product groups and regions, as well as our key growth drivers. This resulted in the continued improvement of our profitability, driven by a favourable mix, operational leverage and a more supportive market.”

The integration of the recent acquisitions of DOrsogna Dolciaria in Italy, in October 2017, and Gertrude Hawk Ingredients in the US, in December 2017, further expanding Barry Callebaut’s value-adding Specialties & Decorations business, is said to be well on track. Furthermore, to keep serving its customers optimally, Barry Callebaut invested in the expansion of its global chocolate production capacity in Region EMEA, Singapore and Region Americas.

Since its launch in September 2017 by Barry Callebaut, the fourth type of chocolate: Ruby, is hitting the consumer market. The first consumer-facing Ruby products were introduced in Japan and South Korea, and have now been introduced in Europe. Barry Callebaut also announced the launch of Ruby for the Gourmet & Specialties customers under the Callebaut brand. Furthermore, inspired by wine, coffee and craft beer categories, Barry Callebaut introduced a sensory language and tasting ritual for chocolate in January 2018. These tools will enable brands and artisans to help consumers appreciate chocolate even more than they do today. In addition, Barry Callebaut‘s sugar-reduced solutions are enticing customers and growing by double-digits.

Barry Callebaut launched its first Forever Chocolate pilot in Indonesia. This is the first in a series of five pilot programs planned in cocoa origin countries that are intended to test theories of change in the quest to accelerate impact in sustainable cocoa production. Barry Callebaut is partnering with Dutch Wageningen University & Research which is providing the Group with robust, scientific support to provide the baseline and analytical framework against which the outcomes can be assessed.