Interviews

Pioneering Poland’s Poultry

Wednesday, 14 August, 2024 Food From Poland 41/2023
Grzegorz Remigiusz Jekel,Chief Operating Officer, Wielkopolski Indyk and Chief Executive Officer, Grupa Producentów Drobiu, delves into the blend of tradition and innovation over 56 years, showcasing how turkey meat is staking its claim in the modern market.
Can traditional craft be combined with innovative production? How has the nature of the Wielkopolski Indyk company changed over the 56 years of your presence on the market?

Our company serves as an example that traditional craft can be combined with innovative production. However, I will add at the start that we are a large, modern company with an outreach going farther than the domestic market. We are exceptional experts in the area of turkey meat – a high-quality meat means high quality product. Actually, we have been drawing on tradition for 56 years, preserving the craft-like nature of our products, while also using modern meat production and packing technologies. Our company is located in the heart of Greater Poland, not far from the Greater-Polish National Park, away from noise and pollution. We have the potential, knowledge and unique experience built for decades. Over all those years, the company has been built consistently, step by step. Today, our enterprise rests on 3 solid pillars:
  • production potential – our team, technology and infrastructure;
  • strong orientation to ecology – sustainable development, aspiration at energy independence;
  • consistent quality management – full production integration, we follow the “farm to fork” rule.
Can turkey meat products compete with other meats? Or is it still underrated food?

Definitely, YES, it can! Not only are turkey meat products able to compete but they do so with increasing strength.

Turkey meat is very valuable to our diet with its high content of easily digestible protein and low content of saturated fats. In dietary rankings, it is rated higher than other meats, including the popular chicken meat.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows about its advantages and how to prepare it skillfully at home. We have accumulated this knowledge over the years and we are willing to share it. This is why we focus on the development of product lines precisely adapted to the modern needs of our consumers: “Śniadaniowe”, “Specjały Indycze”, “Wolno Gotowane” – a range of meats prepared using the sous vide method, as well as convenience products – coated goods enjoying huge popularity.

Our product lines focus on the unique advantages of turkey and support trends related to healthier nutrition.

How do consumer trends affect turkey consumption?

Among many trends, there is one related to healthy nutrition, which affects us significantly and is increasingly important, especially in the context of meat consumption – “Less meat preparations but healthier and with higher quality”, and turkey meat is simply healthier. We can see this in the increased demand from our customers looking for such solutions on the domestic and foreign market. We believe this is due to education and the food culture, which is steadily growing, especially on developed European markets, which is where we see the main source of our growth.

We believe that, in spite of the global geopolitical situation, such factors as quality, unique product characteristics, as well as the producers’ image and – important but underrated – nutrition fashions, still remain important.

We believe the factors with an upward trend include:
  • Fashion connected with preference for highly specialized producers respecting tradition and best practices of food production, and possibly the least arduous to the environment. Our company is surely one of them.
  • Product characteristics, where full transparency of raw material origin, production process, product pureness and quality is expected. Our key value is the “Farm to fork” principle – for years, we have cared for full quality control at all stages of the development process of our products.
  • Care for delivery of products exactly as expected by the market and in the expected form – safe, economic, quality and convenience-oriented.
What comprises high quality? What raw materials do you use and what certificates are held by Wielkopolski Indyk?

Wielkopolski Indyk is a company integrated in the farm to fork chain. This is one of the key values of the company and the real value to our customers, both business ones and consumers of our cured meats. One can say we are a complete company. We have a large area of land for growing high-class cereals for feed production, our own feed mixing plant (established as early as the 1970s and modernized many times), numerous turkey farms, a slaughterhouse and a modern processing plant. This is a result of many years of consistency and a well-thought-out company development strategy without which we would have never achieved such a model. For many years, we have ensured full quality control of the development process of our products. Currently, this process is fully in our hands. The quality and safety at each stage of production takes on a new meaning in modern times.

Moreover, the quality of our products has been appreciated by the best and most restrictive food safety organizations: HACCP, BRC, IFS, as well as with a HALAL certificate.

How does the offer of Wielkopolski Indyk stand out? What business model have you adopted while preparing your portfolio?

For many years, the company had been known on the market as a supplier of turkey meat. For some time, however, we have significantly broadened the scope of our operations by production of turkey cured meats and preparations. This is what we would like to focus on in the nearest future.

Therefore, we decided last year to introduce our new “Wielkopolski Indyk” producer brand, comprising new product lines, precisely fitting the current nutrition and economic trends.

We have focused on a selected product portfolio:
  • “Specjały Indycze” (Turkey Specialties) – a line of unique cured meats, such as bacon, pastrami, or a selection of salamis – all made of turkey meat;
  • “Wolno Gotowane” (Slowly Cooked) – a selection of well-known meats prepared using the sous vide method, juicy, fragrant and, of course, made of turkey meat;
  • convenience products – frozen and cooled; a selection of coated products – popular strips, nuggets and similar goods.
For years, we have cooperated with the largest trade chains in Poland, which are the main recipients of our products and services.

We have a modern, efficient processing plant equipped with lines for production of convenience and sous vide, maturing products, pasteurized cured meats, as well as frozen products. Furthermore, our machinery enables us to pack our goods in a vacuum and in a protective atmosphere (in a wide range of packaging types strictly adapted to the market requirements).

To put it shortly, we have the proper potential to service the most demanding orders, including in the segment of private labels.

How does your export activity look like? On which markets can your products be found and does the offer differ depending on the country?

As I have mentioned before, we are one of the largest Polish companies specialized in turkey meat and its preparations. We have the appropriate potential and an appetite for more active acquisition on European markets and beyond. We are already present in most European countries and, by holding HALAL certificates – in selected Arabic countries as well.

We have been cooperating for years with the largest trade and distribution chains in Poland and Europe. Our values are QUALITY (“Farm to fork”), SPECIALIZATION (turkey meat), and, above all, FLEXIBILITY. We have a production potential, know-how built over the years, and we share it, providing products with specifications expected by our customers.

Thus, one can say our offer is unique for different export markets – we offer turkey meat and its preparations under private labels according to specifications adapted to the expectations of our customers.

New technologies enable optimization of production, but also impact sustainable development. What actions do you take for the sake of the environment?

One of our priorities is reduction of the environmental impact of our operations and achievement of energy independence. Currently, 50% of our electric power comes from our own biogas installations and photovoltaic panels. Additionally, in our production processes, we use 60% of recovery heat from the biogas and freezing installation. In the nearest future, we will aim at meeting the zero-emission requirements, which means 100% of our demand for heat and electric power will come from renewable sources. This will help us partially address the growing costs of energy, while simultaneously contribute even more to ecology. We have a wastewater treatment facility of our own, meeting high environmental standards.

In what direction will you develop your export operations? New markets, or maybe an expanded product offer?

As I have already said: we own a modern and efficient processing plant with production lines for convenience and sous vide ready meals, maturing products, sliced cured meats, and frozen products.

Our customers on export markets particularly appreciate such products as:
  • our “turkey specialties” – bacon and a selection of salamis;
  • pasteurized products with a longer use-by date;
  • frozen coated products (also including chicken meat) – nuggets, burgers, strips, cordon bleu.
This is the product portfolio on which we focus today and will focus on in the near future.

Our (weekly) production capacity includes: 50 tons of frankfurters, 25 tons of maturing products, 150 tons of smoked meats, 200 tons of sliced products, or 100 tons of convenience products (frozen and cooled). We have an excellent sales team specializing in the service of export markets, modern standards, and the trust of our international partners.

We are ready to handle almost every order and we look for distribution partners with whom we would fully maximize our potential.

Thank you
Monika Górka




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