2017-02-22
LEBANON
Step by step with Bachir Ice Cream, the king of Lebanese ice cream
For Lebanese Bachir Ice Cream a good ice cream recipe is not enough to ensure commercial success. It needs to be combined with optimal processing technology and knowledge about new market trends. That’s why the company partners with Tetra Pak.
Bachir Ice Cream is the king of Lebanese ice cream, which is rich in flavour and smooth in texture. In 2016 the company celebrated 80 years in the ice cream business. What started out as a family business in the mountain village Bikfaïya is now a nationally well-known establishment, run by the second and third generation of the family.
The ice cream was handmade in the company’s facility in Bikfaïya until 1965. In 1980 the big change for the company was to open up a second store, in Beirut. In the 1990s the company was ready to take the next step and contacted Tetra Pak. “They installed a brand new factory with equipment for mixing, homogenizing, pasteurizing and freezing,” he says. “This way, we could start to produce ice cream more consistently. We opened stores all over Lebanon. It was a big success,” Bachir says.
Partner with Tetra Pak for 25 years
For the past 25 years Bachir Ice Cream has been a partner with Tetra Pak. The relationship is close and collaborative. To continue to be successful the Bachir family continuously invests in new processing technology and acquires knowledge about new market trends. In 2016 Maurice and his brother Pierre Bachir, the company’s R&D Manager, went to Tetra Pak’s Product Development Centre in Aarhus, Denmark, which is a specialized centre for ice cream. The centre is managed by passionate ice cream professionals with wide experience and expertise, says Pierre Bachir. “In four days we have acquired years of ice cream experience and a sea of knowledge in a wonderful learning environment,” notes Pierre Bachir. By learning more about how to optimize the processing technology and new recipes, the company futureproofs its business.
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