Greek dairy group Olympus has targeted listings in the multiples after launching a British subsidiary earlier this month.
The processor, which has previously only had a presence in UK retailers through wholesalers and importers, said it was looking to capitalise on a surge in demand for Greek dairy products to make inroads into British retailers, and was in discussions with the multiples to supply them with both branded and own-label products.
“Last year UK imports of Greek feta were up 25% year on year, while Greek yoghurt was also up,” said Olympus sales director Kostas Ntasios. “We’re launching a subsidiary in the UK to capitalise on this increased interest, and we believe we can be a challenger brand to the likes of Fage, and the ambassadors of authentic Greek dairy in the UK,” he added.
Olympus, part of the family-owned Tyras Group, is the number one feta cheese producer in Greece and the country’s second largest Greek yoghurt producer behind Fage, Ntasios said. It used only “carefully chosen 100% Greek raw milk from high welfare cows, and traditional Greek production methods”, and was the “fastest growing” dairy company in Greece.
“We have grown from being just a local dairy brand back in 2000 to becoming a market leader, and have invested €227m during the past 10 years,” Ntasios claimed, with the supplier achieving “steady growth” over the past decade despite the economic turmoil faced by Greece since 2008.
Olympus’ UK operation would be able to offer customers “the best possible service in the areas of NPD, sales, marketing, technical and logistics, through a dedicated local team and a well-established 3PL partner located in the Midlands” he added.
“We’re pitching a wide range of PDO feta products, in addition to offering grilling cheese, salad cheese, Greek yoghurt, Greek juice and Greek spreadable cheese, which means we can be the ideal one-stop supplier for Greek dairy products in the UK,” Ntasios claimed.
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