Tea meets chocolate
26 May 2021
ISM Top Innovation 1st place: Lauensteiner® Tea Leaf Tin
Maximilian Kaub, Division Manager Marketing/Sales/Export Confiserie Burg Lauenstein GmbH, Copyrights: Confiserie Burg Lauenstein GmbH
The Confiserie Burg Lauenstein GmbH with its product Lauensteiner® Tea Leaf Tin landed in 1st place of the ISM Top Innovations this year. ISM spoke to Maximilian Kaub, Head of Marketing/Sales/Export at Confiserie Burg Lauenstein about the significance of the award, the years of development work and the challenges of combining tea and chocolate.
You are one of the top innovations of ISM 2021 and have landed in 1st place? What significance does this award have for your company?
Awards are always great because they recognise the daily achievements of all employees. It's a wonderful external reward, so to speak, which you can't give as a company management. The award for our tea leaves means even more for the entire team of the Lauenstein Confectionery, because it rewards a development phase of about three years, during which we also doubted or questioned our vision again and again. We are all the more pleased that these efforts have now been rewarded with this great award and the many positive feedbacks.
What role do product innovations play in your company and what are your expectations of a new product?
Our industry is in a constant state of change, because tastes are changing. Whereas in the past, chocolates containing alcohol were mostly desired, the trend is now towards non-alcoholic and fruity. Therefore, we have also streamlined our assortment.
The most important role is played by our quality standards, which we never deviate from. Apart from that, new products should of course appeal to the changing tastes of our customers and also open up new target groups.
Lauensteiner® tea leaf tin of the Confiserie Burg Lauenstein GmbH, Copyrights: Confiserie Burg Lauenstein GmbH
What do you think makes your Lauensteiner winning product so special?
The two ancient cultivated plants Camellia sinensis and Theobroma cacao share some similarities. But they also harmonise wonderfully in terms of taste. After years of development and with the help of leading tea experts, we have developed this special process that marries our fine Lauenstein chocolate with the highest quality real tea. And that is what makes our product so special. Of course, we do not reveal how this works.
How important is the ISM for you as a business platform for confectionery and snacks in general, but also with regard to the presentation of innovations?
ISM is one of the most important, if not the most important trade fair for the confectionery industry. This is where manufacturers and trade meet. It's about exchange, networking, the emergence of new trends. In fact, it's about everything that moves our industry. We are optimistic and very much hope that ISM will be able to take place again in 2022 in almost its old form.