Arla seeing foodservice demand rising in Denmark
New figures from Arla Pro, which supplies dairy products to canteens, restaurants and cafes, show positive progress for the Danish food service industry. Sales of Arla Pro products have doubled since the crisis peaked in the country back in March, and demand has increased by 30% over the past two weeks as restaurants, cafés and workplaces are re-opening.
“We can see that things are starting to go in the right direction. Last week's sales show a doubling compared to the week back in March when the crisis was at its worst,” Jesper Vanghøj, marketing manager at Arla Pro, said.
“So there is progress, and it is very positive that more and more of our customers have started to be able to reopen.”
However, Vanghøj warned that not everything is back to normal and the company would now focus on helping customers recover in an industry that has been and continues to be hit hard.
The sudden shutdown meant Arla Pro had a large amount of food that was no longer in demand, but this has led to creative initiatives to adapt to the crisis, help customers move on and reduce food waste.
In Germany, among other things, Arla Pro donated Starbucks products to a hospital to support health workers, while in Sweden it distributed boxes of food to various hospitals in Stockholm, which health care providers could take home after a long working day.
In France, Arla Pro helped volunteers prepare burgers and curries for the homeless and refugees to avoid food waste, and the company collaborated with Matilde in Denmark through donations of products to healthcare professionals.
