The press conference was held in Budapest by Gyula Meat Ltd. – Gyulahús Ltd., at the A38 ship on the banks of the River Danube. Presentations were held by Éva Gila – marketing manager of Gyula Meat Ltd. and hostress of the event, Zsolt Daka – managing director of Gyula Meat Ltd., Mayor Ernő Görgényi – City of Gyula, Helena Kovács – Senior Trendinternational Market Researcher, Zoltán Hajduk – Head of the dry goods plant of Gyula Meat Ltd. Brigitta Lengyel – Head of the production plant of Gyula Meat Ltd.
Éva Gila – marketing manager of Gyula Meat Ltd. highlighted according to a survey conducted by Gyula Meat Ltd., which involved 500 people at the end of May and found that nearly 2/3 of people paying attention in the food to be delicious, and 45% gave up the product after the first dislike and then continue to look for the one that suits their taste. Hungarians do not give up on delicious flavors even if they buy some special, “free” food.
The survey also found that the need in „free” food is in most cases not due to digestive problems or sensitivities, cause as twice as many people buy this type of product. Sixty-five percent of those in the latter category eat specifically for medical reasons, and 30% believe it is healthier to consume „free” products. The research also revealed that spicy foods are becoming more-and-more popular among Hungarians, 73% of respondents regularly consume such products. There is no difference according to age groups, as young and elder alike prefer spicy, but the gender gap is already striking: 80% of men say they consume spicy food, compared to 65%of women.
Among the spicy foods, the most popular is the sausage, which 8 out of 10 shoppers regularly take off the store shelves. Surprisingly, the spicy spices and flavors are far behind the previous one, but almost 2/3 of the respondents often put such products in their carts. Peppers (fresh veggies) are in third place with 62%. In addition to these, spicy pickles, sauces, dressings and sauces are also in high demand, which are bought and consumed relatively frequently by about half of the participants in the research.
It was also emphasized that even though a significant part of the buyers of specialty products are not only free of gluten and lactose, they also expect delicious flavors. The average awareness of the consumer brands won the Hungarian Brands award in 2021 was higher than 75%, and their popularity was over 85%, which shows the commitment of Hungarian consumers to Hungarian brands. Éva Gila also told, they achieved better-than-expected, significant expansion in export markets last year.Turnover increased by 6% in volume in 2021. Although the research did not cover the pandemic situation, it certainly played a role in the growing trend. It is generally believed that hot peppers have an antiseptic effect and so forth hovering in the eyes of many, and during the coronavirus epidemic, following folk wisdom, they tried to supplement their defenses with such food.
Zsolt Daka – managing director of Gyula Meat Ltd., told that one of their new liver products was created by “kneading” two leading products – Gyulai Sausage and Gyulai Liver. The end result is a characteristic taste packed in liver. The product was named Gyula Sausage Spicy Liver. This delicacy is not only recommended for gourmets. The product is a gluten and lactose free preparation. Also added, due to the production technology, the livers of Gyula Meat Ltd., have always been gluten- and lactose-free. From the first moment the product arrived in the stores they won the favor of consumers, which is the “exemption” for more and more people.
Almost half of consumers tend to buy “free” food on a more or less regular basis, however, only a small circle (10%) think that this type of diet is largely driven by fashion. A much wider stratum 64% in total believes that there is some kind of indigestion, even if not justified by a doctor, or a consumer’s intention to prevent it behind the choice of these foods.
In foreword, Mayor Ernő Görgényi remarked on what rings the bell for an average person when speaking of the City of Gyula. Of course, the Castle Bath of Gyula, the Castle of Gyula and the Sausage of – Made in Gyula, but of course not always in that order. Mayor emphasized that the City of Gyula had made a good decision when it undertook to reorganize the local meat industry almost ten years ago with the help of state support to the Gyula Meat Ltd., and now grown to a fully successful municipal company. The profits are spent on financial appreciation and improvements for their employees.
In overall was told, the Gyula’s sausage has become a concept, either a parched, spicy, paired sausage and other meat products of Gyula. Hungarian housewives like to make sandwiches, scrambled eggs with sausage, but the gourmets used to bake sausages in the casserole potatoes, bean soup, thick lentil soup and stuffed pork loin or stuffed turkey breast. The Gyula sausage preserves three centuries in today’s flavors.Added that the survey data highlights that the popularity of these products has increased in the recent period. Nearly 20% said they have become accustomed to these delicacies lately. This is also confirmed by the feedback received by Gyula Meat Ltd., and the experience of tasting at trade fairs. According to the company’s experts, there has been a significant increase in interest in hot products at these events in recent times, and they are running out of much more than before.In the spicy offer, the Gyula brand was considered by the respondents to be the most prominent producer of meat products (31%). The popularity of hot products has increased in recent times. One-fifth of Hungarian consumers have indicated that they have become accustomed to these foods in the last few years, according to a recent, representative study by Gyula Meat Ltd. Based on consumer feedback to the company, the coronavirus also played a role in the trend. The survey also pointed out that a significant proportion of buyers of specialty products are not limited to gluten- and lactose-free conditions alone. They expect delicious flavors – if they are disappointed in this, they will quickly move on.
During the event the Great Plain Quartet played fiery melodies along side in sausage tasting and were also invited to a majestic lunch presenting yummy Gyula Meat specialties after the press conference.
…. In brief a little background History of the Gyula Sausage … The base was established by a small family business at the end of the of 18th – early 19th century. In advance earned its name already in the 16th century upon the winter fair in Gyula as one of the largest fairs in Europe. These fairs made the life of the city of Gyula very bubbly, boosting the manufacturing industry.
At the end of the 19th century, Gyula Sausage was in full swing, and many butchers offered their own port. The need arose to build a public slaughterhouse in the city – in 1868.
One of them stood out József Balog, who made Gyula famous all over Europe, won a Gold Medal with his sausage at the 1910 World’s Fair in Brussels. András Stéberl worked as an assistant at Balog Jr., who, after learning the tricks of sausage production and connecting him with his experience abroad, started the production of Gyula Sausage and many other meat products. Under the leadership of András Stéberl, the meat factory in Gyula won the Golden Diploma in 1935 at the Brussels World’s Fair for the master’s “small pair of Gyula sausages”. In a number of work phases, he mechanized tasks that had been performed almost exclusively by hand until then. After a few years, he exported the meat products from Gyula to several continents. His financial situation allowed him to develop, he set up a new, state-of-the-art plant with an incense burner, a cold store and warehouses. The pigs raised on its own fattening farm have been processed by its staff since 1938 in a new, larger factory. The product range has expanded significantly, covering almost all segments of meat processing. In addition to thin and thick sausages, winter salami, paired sausages, bacon and ham products, meat and ham preparations and to-day the rest is history.
History Source: Association for the Preservation of Traditions
Riport and snaps Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 