Capwell Industries, one of Kenya’s leading milled cereal products manufacturer, has launched a new is cereal milk drink as part of the firm’s strategic direction to venture into beverages and expand its product range.
Produced in a newly installed US$2.5 million (Kshs250 million) plant at Capwell Industries, the new beverage, under the brand ‘Yola’, comes as a ready to drink beverage available in a variety of acceptable flavors.
Yola is available in four tantalizing flavors; vanilla, banana, strawberry and mango and works for a broad spectrum of consumers who needs a quick meal, the company said.
Speaking during the official launch of the Yola cereal milk drink, Capwell industries Group Chief Executive Officer Mr. Rajan Shah said that the firm was keen to innovate and develop products that meet the needs of Kenyan consumers at the point of health, convenience and utility.
Yola, he posited, was essentially creating a new category, thus influencing a healthy lifestyle adding that the innovation reflected the first time that the company has ventured into a completely new beverage category, illustrating Capwell’s confidence in the Kenyan market.
“Following the quarter of a billion-shilling investment, Capwell Industries has now become a fully-fledged food and beverage company with the introduction of YOLA as our first foray into the cereal milk drink and thus beverage category.
“This is a strategic growth move that we have taken to expand the line of products we offer in response to an evolving Kenyan food culture,” he explained adding that Cereal milk drinks are already quite popular across the Southern African region.
Shah noted that the product made great sense to bring to the market as it filled a major gap for a growing trend of consumers increasingly making healthier food choices despite their daily busy routines amid strong temptations to settle for fairly unhealthy foods.
The company said that the cereal milk drink is affordable, doesn’t require refrigeration, has a long shelf life of up to six months, offers energy, proteins and is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
“Yola Cereal milk drink is a first-to-market, leading-edge trend to quench both hunger and thirst at the same time”, said Mr. Shah. It is also suitable as a snack on the go.
The drink comes in two sizes-the 250 ml and 450 ml that cost Kshs 40.00 and Kshs 60.00 respectively.
The Soko brand owner, said that over the years, a major portion of the firm’s growth came from the peri and urban areas, where population expansion has continued unabated and incomes have steadily been rising.
The company is now banking on a notable consumer trend, where consumers have become more empowered to choose quality products for their own health and well-being, a concept that the new product has embraced.
“This will continue to be the core market for YOLA, as we anticipate that it will certainly catch on quickly even in the peri-urban and rural areas due to its long shelf life.
In fact, YOLA offers Capwell Industries a growth driver in a category that is widely expected to grow by at least 50 per cent over the next ten years as consumers vote with their mouth for healthier beverages,” Mr. Rajan Shah added.
