Ready-to-eat
Ready-to-Eat (RTE) are products that have been cooked during the processing stage, which means that they can be consumed directly or after being lightly heated up. The products range from grilled and pre-sliced chicken fillets to chicken nuggets. Sales are to the foodservice and retail sales channels, and part of the production is exported. Production takes place mainly at our own plants, but in some markets, we also produce through partnerships, which expands our product portfolio and brand exposure.
Products and product development
We produce Ready-to-Eat products at three plants, in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Farre in Denmark is our largest plant and produces frozen chicken products, primarily burgers and coated products such as nuggets. The products are based on chickens that have been slaughtered and cut at our own plants, and use externally purchased ingredients. One common factor in all of the production is that freezing is part of the production process. A high share of the production in Denmark goes to customers in the local and international fast-food segment. We also have a processing plant in Sweden connected to the slaughterhouse in Valla, which produces chilled and processed products. The plant in Stokke, Norway, produces pre-grilled and chilled products. In Norway in particular, the proportion of cooked products is generally higher and we have enjoyed great success there with the Fried & Sliced product series. The concept comprises pre-grilled and sliced chicken fillets in a range of spices – a concept that we are also exporting to other countries.
By leveraging partnerships, we can further develop our product portfolio and offer alternatives that we cannot produce ourselves at the moment, such as kebab-based products. We also have a small offering of vegetarian products.
“Sliced and seasoned chicken is a product that is suitable for families with little time to spare, and for cooks who wish to make an impression.”
– Stefan Superti, Swedish chef/Head of Gastronomy at Kronfågel
Increased production capacity
Changing consumer behaviour and attitudes towards ready-made food products is driving the convenience food category. Demand is certainly growing for innovative, healthy products that are easy to consume while on-the-go, or that help speed up dinner preparations for families. The convenience food trend is growing stronger with consumers in all our domestic markets – it is a trend we are noting throughout the world. Our sales growth was very robust in 2022, mainly driven by price increases, as well as by volume increases, which have generated very strong earnings. To meet the increasing demand for Ready-to-eat products, in 2022, we expanded capacity in Farre by upgrading one of the production lines. The expansion of production line 3 will contribute to increased production capacity in 2023.