Santa Maria Foods: Special Palate
Service Industries
By Fernie Tiflis   
Friday, 21 December 2007
Santa Maria Foods, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Santa Maria Foods manufactures specialty deli meats, such as rosemary ham.
Brampton, Ontario, Canada-based Santa Maria Foods has been providing authentic Italian foods to the North American market for 35 years. As a manufacturer of specialty deli meats that include prosciutto, mortadella, salami, and oven-roasted ham, and a distributor of quality premium Italian brands into Canada, the company credits its success to its Italian expertise.  

"We're an expert in producing quality," CEO Fred Jaques says. "[We're also known] for the authenticity of our original recipes and formulas, and our commitment to the quality of ingredients we buy for the deli meats we make. [We also] bring fine Italian foods to the Canadian [market]. There is a journey of development on teaching [customers and consumers] about our products and we do it successfully through our sales force."

Eighty percent of Santa Maria's business is in Canada. The deli meat business is marketed under the Mastro and San Danielle brands, while its premium imported groceries include Lavazza Coffee, which is the No. 1 coffee in Italy; San Benedetto Water; Rio Mare Tuna; San Guilano Olive Oil; Divella Pasta (Eastern Canada); and Renna Specialty Foods. Its specialty meat products are also distributed outside of Canada, with 10 percent in the United States and another 10 percent internationally.

Santa Maria recently completed its first acquisition, acquiring the assets of Berchicci Distribution Limited, a Quebec-based Italian foods and cheese distributor. "This partnership will continue to strengthen Santa Maria" Jaques states. "bringing great partners to us and providing an even broader, authentic portfolio."

No Shortcuts
People and products set the company apart from its competition, Director of Sales Adrian Zilli notes. "We still continue to manufacture products in that Old World, artesian way," he says. "There is no room for shortcuts or cheaper ways. [Our products] go a long way [in] the way we make them."

He adds that Santa Maria's 450 employees have passion for food. "We love our products, we love to see people try our products, and we have the passion for food and commitment to this company," Zilli explains.

Challenges are inevitable, however. "We have to fight every day for our business," Jaques says. A typical challenge, he notes, is fluctuating ingredient costs. The company adapts by not relying on a single source. "We have a team of people who develop second and third sources of supply to help smooth out [this challenge]," Jaques says.

He adds that another challenge - and probably the most complicated - is ensuring food safety. "We have an incredibly vigorous program to make sure we don't have any food safety problems," Jaques explains. Santa Maria maintains a quality assurance department, uses specialty equipment and has a dedicated work force that focuses on sanitation and hygiene, he says.

"In this area, there is no single solution," he continues. "There is a long list [of programs and initiatives] we do every single day. And, for Santa Maria, this preoccupation is a source of competitive advantage."

Santa Maria's three plants practice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. They are also federally registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the highest standard in food safety in Canada.

Know Your Products
Over the last five years, consumer demands have increasingly shifted toward self-serve products, Zilli notes. "They look for more sliced and vacuum-packed [meats] because they require longer shelf life," he says. "[Sometimes], trying new products can be intimidating when people order something they've never had. [However], self-serve products have been successful at providing a low-risk way for consumers to try our products."

In addition, says Vice President of Marketing Jim Carfrae, consumers today have a "more sophisticated palate." "Consumers are not satisfied with the same old foods today.  They are looking for and enjoying the delicate tastes of new foods like prosciutto with melon or figs," he says. To adapt, Santa Maria constantly educates its employees.

"There is ongoing training involved," Zilli says. "Day in and day out, there is product tasting. It's about knowing your own products and processes and [your competition's]. By sampling [our products], it continuously educates our sales force."

Employees eat the company's products for lunch most of the time, Jaques adds. "There is a high level of interaction and communication," he explains. "Everyone's passionate about food because we're a food company." He adds that employees learn what to look for in a product, such as shape, size, thickness and taste.

Recent Developments
There is more in store for Santa Maria. The company has several new initiatives: a consumer program, new packaging and improving its self-serve line - all of which will happen over the next few months.

Santa Maria's Gran Gusto Italiano program - which translates to "great Italian taste" - is designed to encourage customers to try new recipes by "trying our products in action," Carfrae says. For example, he says, customers can mix salami with an olive or cherry tomato, as opposed to just eating salami. Promotional plans include a recipe booklet that highlights Santa Maria products, involves celebrity chefs and putting video tips on the company's Web sites.

The company is also in the process of redoing its product packaging "to make it reflect more of the quality of our products," Jaques states. In addition, Santa Maria is improving its self-serve line by utilizing fixed-weight packaging that will use UPC's for the same price for each pack. This move, Carfrae says, will simplify the lives of Santa Maria consumers.

Italian Flair
Santa Maria was founded based on an Italian tradition, Carfrae notes. "It's a cultural thing," he says. "We make sure everything we do reflects the Italian food and culture. It's a community of learning and our sales force [is on] the front line."

The company's slogan is "People smile around food. We understand why." Jaques says it is all about the "spirit attitude. We're committed to making our company grow, but we work with our customers to build the category and help them sell more."

"There is no better business to be in than to be bringing the delicious taste of Italian specialty meats and imported grocery products to Canadians," Jaques concludes.
 
< Previous Story   Next Story >