We had a fantastic interview with Mr. Arthur Maurer, Founder and CEO – MeisterWurst. Arthur is in the business of providing a variety of ready-to-cook items including cold cuts, sausages, bacon, meat loafs and tenderloins. MeisterWurst is also prepared to try its luck with vegan cuisine using India as a base. Given the large vegetarian population and long history of vegetarianism, he thinks that India is the best spot to seize the vegan market.
- MEISTERWURST TOOK FLIGHT IN BANGALORE IN 2017. HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN YOUR JOURNEY OF BRINGING FRESH AND AUTHENTIC FLAVOURS OF GERMANY TO INDIA?
After starting with B2B, the business entered the B2C market by opening 5 MeisterWurst locations, mostly in Bangalore. India is a challenging country for direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses, but we have surmounted this by retaining strict control over the entire value chain.
- HOW CRITICAL IS THE INDIAN MARKET FOR MEISTERWURST?
Although it is a challenging ride, investing in true D2C provides you a competitive advantage. And it increases your marketability. Particularly in India, one of the economies that is expanding the quickest in the world, the future is exciting and brimming with prospects.
The size of its market and the wealth of its demographic dividend. Everyone has ample room to manoeuvre. Meat is a crucial category, and there are no comparable offerings in the quality segment. The Indian market for quality prepared food via retailers and home delivery is booming, and they need reliable suppliers throughout their footprint. 37% of Indians eat meat at least weekly, and the market for processed meat products in this country is worth USD 29 billion and expanding by 9–10% annually.
- WHAT ARE THE KEY CHALLENGES THAT YOUR BRAND IS FACING TODAY?
We haven’t had much competition in terms of quantity and quality up until now. Our company is run “old school.” WE GROW ORGANIC, AND EVERYTHING FINANCED BY US. This is how MW’s activities differ from many others in India.
- HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF THE PROCESSED FOOD INDUSTRY IN INDIA?
A variety of ready-to-cook items are available from MeisterWurst, including cold cuts, sausages, bacon, meat loafs and tenderloins. Due to current market demands, the products on this list are in the top trending product categories. We’ll keep coming up with new ideas and add more in-demand products to the mix. We adapt European know-how for India by bringing it there! India will benefit from this, as will we. Even though it has one of the biggest markets in the world, professional processing is rarely employed there. The possibilities are consequently tremendous! Everything is possible in this country; just be sure to work hard and ethically.
- WHAT IS THE USP OF MEISTERWURST? WHAT IS THE PLAN IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL EXPANSION?
MeisterWurst sells more than 100 products in India, and what distinguishes us as genuine is that we never compromise on quality. As it is, what we are known for and because we don’t cut corners, quality is highly essential to us.
MeisterWurst is prepared to try its luck with vegan cuisine using India as a base. Given the large vegetarian population and long history of vegetarianism, we think India is the best spot to seize the vegan market. We are all prepared to introduce the specialised brand Veganya, which will offer vegan cuisine. We want to grow the market for MeisterWurst, both online and offline.
- THE F&B INDUSTRY IS SEEING A RISE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY. HOW DO YOU SEE THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING THE SECTOR AND HOW IT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR BRAND’S GROWTH?
We were once again the first to implement modern processed meat technology. We copy and paste European know-how into India. This is a “must” in order to maintain high standards and ensure superior products and food safety!
- WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PRODUCT OFFERINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA?
MeisterWurst currently sells over 100 products, changes SKUs frequently, and even offers unique flavours for each state. Major cities across the nation have MeisterWurst restaurants. What drives me is a desire to offer clients the best items possible while growing the brand to new heights by working with our dark shop partner to enter new markets and establish ourselves as a household name. We are reacting to the rising demand for high-quality food by providing specialised items and a distinctive speciality range. We top the list for chicken and pork in terms of quality and dependability.
- TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR PRODUCTS.
Throughout the last 12 years, MeisterWurst has a large distribution network in India. Strong R&D partners in Europe are constantly trying to introduce innovative production techniques and goods that haven’t been made in India before. Our product selection, as well as our market penetration, are growing. Our product lineup is always being updated, and we have a robust R&D team to meet the varied tastes of our customer base.
- WHICH GEOGRAPHIES DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, IN THE COMING YEARS?
We are addressing the growing need for high-quality food by providing specialised items and a distinctive speciality range. We are quite economical. We are superior to imported goods, more adaptable to Indian tastes and less expensive. We have been in the market for more than 12 years and know where to go, therefore we won’t confine ourselves to tier-1 cities. We do not scrimp on quality and stick to our own standards. Nobody else has the sausages that we do. Even our product names were imitated by our rivals. GREAT QUALITY IS WITH US! Even ingredients from Europe are brought for genuine flavour. We are manufacturing a Mercedes in food in India. To grow, we pick reputable partners.
- DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO OUR READERS?
Just try and taste our products – it will say more than 1000 words. We produce a “Mercedes” not in Germany, but in India…. Born in Germany – made in India!
