Nestle Waters expects to see a year-on-year double-digit growth, of around 20%, on its foodservice sales of Perrier sparkling mineral water in the UAE, following the signing of an agreement with food, beverage and non-food distribution company HORECA.
Perrier will complement HORECA’s existing beverage portfolio, which includes Acqua Panna, the official mineral water of the Worldwide Sommelier Association and S. Pellegrino, served in over 100 countries worldwide, in addition to Sohat, which comes from the highest mountains of Lebanon “Falougha”.
General manager of HORECA Trade UAE and Oman, commented on the agreement: “This natural health sparkling beverage complements the existing range of beverages we offer. S.Pellegrino is the best table top drink and Perrier is the best all day drinking water.
“This agreement further strengthens our position as a leader in food service and also further strengthens our partnership with Nestle Water globally.”
In response, Nestle Waters M&D, Middle East and Africa Zone manager, Djamel Touaibi said: “The foodservice sales and distribution of Perrier in the UAE were previously handled in conjunction with the retail operations by GULFCO. Following this latest agreement, GULFCO will retain the retail operation.
“We chose HORECA as our foodservice partner because of their strategy and their expertise in this market.
“Knowing there are a lot of challenges, this will steadily develop the brand in this highly dynamic market.
“Today, customers are increasingly looking for full solution partnerships instead of dealing with several suppliers, and HORECA can offer a huge portfolio under one roof.”
When asked if there would be further expansions to the beverage portfolio, Al Jamil said: “It is our number one aim to offer more products under one roof so we plan to always expand.”
With a history dating back to 1863, Perrier is famous for its elegantly-shaped green bottle and is well known throughout the world, while HORECA is dedicated entirely to the hospitality sector, servicing more than 1,000 foodservice operators. The company was established as a new start-up in 2003 as the first company to be fully dedicated to the niche sector of foodservice, and in 2010, it was voted by its customers “Best Food and Beverage supplier in the UAE”. In 2014 and 2015 HORECA was awarded “CSR label” by Dubai Chamber for all the efforts and dedication to the community.
