First Potato Brand in Belgium: Princesse Amadine by Pomuni

Successful brands in the fresh produce sector are few and far between, but sometimes companies do take the plunge. One of those is Pomuni, market leader in potatoes in Belgium. They will introduce a new product in the summer of 2015: Princesse Amandine, the first potato brand to be introduced in Belgium, a concept that’s been for sale in France for five years now.

Pomuni is one of the distributors in France, while Belgium will have two distributors: Pom’Alliance and Pomuni. Raf Sels of Pomuni: “We see it as a challenge. The big difference with other brands in fresh produce is that you can immediately consume those products, while a potato takes some preparation.” They believe in the product though, the commercial manager says. Particularly in times when consumption of fresh potatoes is down, “we have to do something about that.”

Marketing

Damien De Koninck, one of the people behind the success of the Pink Lady apple, is also responsible for the Princesse Amandine strategy. The goal is to get in the sales top 5 in Belgium within 5 years. “The idea is to get the product noticed through marketing and tastings,” Raf says. Despite initial apprehension from supermarkets, they do notice interest in brands at retail chains. The Princess Amandine brand is supported by ambassador Ghislaine Arabian, a female two-star chef of Belgian origin.

The Princesse Amandine brand has been known in France for five years, where it’s become a clear success. Potato sales under this brand increased from 25,000 to 34,500 tonnes between 2009 and 2014. The Princesse Amandine brand is positioned in the upper middle segment, just below the true specialties like coloured potatoes. Raf: “Princesse Amandine is positioned just below that. It’s a special product, but still affordable.”
 

100% French

The potato is a hybrid of the Charlotte and Marianna varieties, and has an elongated and regular shape and a fine skin. The production is 100% French: the ware potatoes are produced in North Picardy, Champagne Beaune and the Saône Valley (sold August to May). The new potatoes in Brittany, in the Camargue and the Provence (sold June to July).
 Thanks to the existing partnership between growers, technicians and packagers, full traceability of Princesse Amandine is guaranteed from field to fork. Raf emphasizes that the production process for Princesse Amandine follows the strictest hygiene and health standards.

“The potatoes are weighed and sorted by size before being packaged. That way, the consumer always gets the same product, and they will be confident in it. Ultimately, they will go blindly for Amandine. We’re convinced of that!”