Rians bridges tradition and modernity with natural yet innovative cheeses and desserts

[Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com]

Spread on fresh bread, slathered on baked potatoes or enjoyed on its own, Rians’ Le Roulé hand-rolled fresh cheese is creamy and smooth with a balanced flavour – just as delicately made as it would have been in the cheesemaker’s small family farm in the early 20th century.

Today, Rians takes pride in maintaining a simple recipe consisting of natural, high-quality ingredients for most products such as its iconic Crème Brûlée. The premium quality never changed, but Rians’ commitment to satisfy customers’ evolving tastes has yielded a diverse line of fresh and ripened cheeses from cow, goat and sheep milk. These include 10 certified cheeses with the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) mark, a guarantee of unimpeachable quality and deep-rooted regional origins.

Innovation also gave rise to a range of delicious desserts, such as crèmes brûlées, panna cotta, profiteroles, rice puddings, crumbles, chocolate fondants, fruit coulis and frozen varieties.

“What passed on from generation to generation was not just expertise, but the passion, craft and pride,” says export director Christophe Février. “Modernity need not conflict with tradition. The key is respect for history, farmers, suppliers, customers and the environment.”

These values, complemented by superior products, have also earned Rians the trust of leading brands, who have come to value the company’s private label portfolio as much as their own.

Rians began exporting to Asia-Pacific three years ago, recognising the region as a promising market, particularly Japan, Australia, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong. Rians products can be found at ParknShop, Cold Storage, FairPrice, Costco and IGA supermarkets.

“It took time to develop products with limited or no use of preservatives, while ensuring the longest shelf life possible,” Février says. “The investment was complicated and expensive, but our customers’ satisfaction is worth it.”

Rians welcomes importers, distributors and retailers. It envisions growing in Asia-Pacific through partners with whom it can adapt recipes and create new flavours that match the local palate.

“We aspire becoming a global ambassador of French desserts and specialty cheeses,” Février says.

www.rians.com