Fairly produced, without artificial flavors and additives, sustainably packaged and of course organic quality: There are numerous factors that play a role for more and more consumers and in their diet. These requirements also apply in situations where things have to happen quickly. So what should today's ready meals look like?
The gourmet brand Lotao answers this question. With a relaunch in October 2022, the company presented a total of thirteen new, vegan ready-made and semi-finished meals that deliver the usual organic quality with the lowest cooking effort and are made entirely without artificial flavors and preservatives. With “Uncompromisingly good” Lotao describes his mission to bring together healthy nutrition, ecological value creation, fair production and, last but not least, good taste – without compromise. From April, Lotao will receive sales support from the Wilms import house. We are very pleased to have found a distributor in Importhaus Wilms who, with its dense sales network and its own logistics center, helps to position the Lotao brand even more broadly at the PoS," says Lotao sales manager Jens Pöhnisch.
Uncompromising enjoyment is now even easier - the selected range of all new bowls and sauces invites customers to enjoy the cuisine of different national cuisines. For Lotao founder Stefan Fak, this is not only an important impetus for the rethinking of consumers, but for the entire organic segment of the food industry: “We are pleased to be able to show that vegan and socially and ecologically sustainable meals can be prepared deliciously and quickly can be. “In addition, we make it clear that the organic segment in retail continues to grow and can only win in the long term.”
Lotao founder Stefan Fak started with six types of rice over ten years ago with the vision of producing food for real moments of enjoyment from all over the world fairly at its places of origin and bringing it to Europe. To date, there have also been various organic sugar specialties, a unique jackfruit selection and numerous vegetarian meat alternatives and snacks.
With the relaunch of the brand, Lotao is now making vegan taste experiences even easier for consumers to experience. The existing range can look forward to further growth as well as a new design, packaging and a subsequently adapted presentation in stores. For Lotao, new products on the German supermarket shelf always mean new collaborations on the other side of the world. The development project initiated by Fak in Bangalore, southern India, is being relaunched. Since 2019, over 600 farmers have received organic certification and are doing real pioneering work. The common goal: They want to bring the best possible product quality to Europe. Lovers of vegan, fairly produced food can now convince themselves of this: From
From October 1, 2022, the new dishes will be available to buy online at www.lotao.de and in organic markets and selected food retailers throughout Germany.
Classic meets modern
Whether it's a Mediterranean bowl with buckwheat and tomatoes or chili sin carne with veggie mince, beans and corn - after a nine-month development phase, Lotao welcomes a variety of dishes in its diverse range that make a vegan lifestyle even easier in everyday life. When developing the new additions, Stefan Fak asked himself which ones
changing needs consumers have today: “In the last two years of the pandemic, it has become clearer than ever how important a balanced and healthy diet is. However, if you wanted to make a quick lunch in your home office, you could hardly find healthy and tasty ready-made meals in the vegan organic sector. We rely on 100 percent natural ingredients and celebrate the great classics of country cuisine with our new dishes. We show that vegan and socially and ecologically sustainable nutrition can also be delicious and quickly prepared,” says the founder and managing director. The philosophy of using unknown foods such as jackfruit remains in the company's DNA: “Our new bowls and sauces are intended to inspire people to combine the dishes with other ingredients such as our veggie balls , salads or vegetables. The jackfruit is processed in many different variations because it is simply a great, natural product. It is rich in fiber, has no allergens and has very few calories. In terms of content, however, it is no longer as important as it was a few years ago. For us and our customers, the most important thing is uncomplicated and healthy enjoyment,” says Fak. The new Thai bowl shows which new paths the company is taking with an unchanged vision. The rice dish with green curry, eggplant, carrots and peppers contains pre-cooked rice for the first time and can be prepared within a few minutes.
Vegan organic quality in a cup
For a quick snack with consistently high quality from organic farming, the gourmet brand is also presenting three cup dishes in a new design and with an improved recipe. These include the creamy Bolognese with Spirelli noodles, the Indian jackfruit curry with turmeric and cumin, and the Sweet & Sour Cup as a vegan version of Chinese soul food. “Never before has it been easier and quicker to achieve a conscious, organic diet without additives and flavors. “The new dishes are only part of our relaunch,” explains Fak. The newly structured product world of the range will be even easier for consumers to recognize in stores in the future.
The previous sub-brands Lotao Deli and Lotao Kiss will be eliminated and the products will remain under the umbrella brand. The company's new claim reflects both the past and future of Fak and his team. With “Uncompromisingly good” Lotao describes his mission to bring together healthy nutrition, ecological value creation, fair production and, last but not least, good taste – without compromise.
Research for quality and the future
This mission can also be seen in the example of the jackfruit. Despite a greater focus on classic dishes, the fruit remains one of the most exciting new ingredients in European cuisine for Lotao. Foodies in this country are constantly getting to know new forms of preparation and unknown flavor combinations - a learning curve that doesn't stop at the other end of the value chain. The jackfruit and its numerous farmers in India are a central part of Lotao's ongoing partner projects. “For five years we have been driving forward the professionalization of the organic sector of South Indian agriculture by setting up a training center,” describes Fak. “This is not just about avoiding monocultures. We are committed to training farmers as well as distributing
trees. “We are also working very intensively with the local people to develop new products of the best possible quality,” says Fak. Improving the supply chains is also crucial for this. With Lotao, the founder has made it his mission to produce food that is as fresh and unprocessed as possible. Only with the right quality can Europeans truly appreciate the ingredient in dishes like the new curry. With the mission to produce uncompromisingly good food, the project will be expanded to include other tree fruits and crops such as cinnamon, mango and sandalwood in the future.
