Created in 1975 by Abdéali Goulamaly, the group of Reunion origins Océinde employs 1,700 employees in 11 countries. Its industrial and commercial activity develops around three major professions : building chemistry, seafood and telecommunications. The seafood sector brings together four companies : Aquapesca, organic aquaculture farm in Mozambique, which produces in particular the Black Qwehli shrimp, Armament of the Mascarenes, Reunion fishing company that has evolved into the importation and distribution of frozen products, Frozen Food Counter, the brand specializing in frozen foods located in Reunion Island and finally Qwehli, distribution company of high-end seafood products throughout the world, established in the port of Lorient.
THIBAUD LANGLOIS D’ESTAINTOT, IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR
The general director of Armement des Mascareignes discovered Réunion, thirty-six years ago with his father, Emmanuel Langlois d’Estaintot, came to open the first hypermarket on the island : Euromarché. After his business studies, he starts in hard-discount at Dia. He joined Armement des Mascareignes in 2007 to launch, aimed at the general public, the Comptoir du Surgelé brand, whose first store opens in Saint-Denis. A turning point for Armement des Mascareignes, which becomes a distributor in addition to being an importer of frozen foods. It is on the strength of the success of Comptoir du Surgelé that Thibaud Langlois d’Estaintot was appointed general director of Armement des Mascareignes in 2019. He is the architect of the solid relationship of trust that has been established between the company and its professional and private customers.. Relationship that makes Armement des Mascareignes a leader in the local frozen food market.
Armament of the Mascarenes
Frozen, a future outlet for local production.
Increase the share of Reunion products in the frozen food offering, this is the objective of the general director of Armement des Mascareignes, Thibaud Langlois d’Estaintot, project manager of a strategy promoting the circular economy within the assortments intended for catering professionals and customers of the Comptoir du Surgelé brand. Formerly discredited, frozen foods have acquired in our time a qualitative status which associates them, almost equal to the cost, the best of “homemade”. They also have the advantage of appearing today as foods for more responsible consumption.. So the time has come to further promote frozen foods as an outlet for local production., who needs to increase their volumes. Elected president of ARIBEV at the end of September, the Reunion Island Interprofessional Livestock Association, meats and milk, and vice-president of ARIV, the Reunion Island Interprofessional Poultry Association, Thibaud Langlois d’Estaintot, intends to carry this ambition of the number one frozen food in Reunion. The objective, for Armament of the Mascarenes, would be to increase local products from 15% to 25% of its offer. Explanations and vision of the local frozen food market by Thibaud Langlois d’Estaintot.
Meeting Leader : Armament des Mascareignes was created in 1962. However, the date most often cited regarding the company is 1971. How was this date pivotal in the evolution of its activity? ?
Thibaud Langlois d’Estaintot : Created in 1962, Armement des Mascareignes was originally a fishing company. In 1971, it has made a change in the dynamics of its activity. Later, to fishing, a beef import activity was added. But the real change in orientation of Armement des Mascareignes dates from the 1990s, when the company moved towards the import and marketing of frozen food products for catering professionals, mass distribution and individuals. Our first store opened in 1997.
It is difficult to obtain data on the frozen food market in Reunion. Would you say it is stagnating or progressing? ?
The frozen food market in Reunion is growing. First, because the image of frozen food has completely changed. Frozen food has long been considered a sort of catch-all for unsold fresh produce.. This is no longer the case today, because frozen food has evolved a lot. Its image continues to improve thanks to much more efficient and advanced freezing techniques which have made it possible to enrich an offer of real recipes.. The quality of frozen products is today identical to that of fresh products. Furthermore, frozen product has an advantage over fresh : its long shelf life. It is a product capable of meeting the needs in a tight market in terms of food availability, like now. Ensuite, the frozen food market obviously evolves with demographics. Reunion went from 450,000 inhabitants in 1990 to 850,000 inhabitants in 2023. Frozen food sales areas have multiplied. The presence of frozen products in mass distribution has increased. The frozen food market is therefore progressing both qualitatively and structurally.
Does current inflation favor frozen foods when purchasing food? ?
Non. Inflation has disturbed everyone. Frozen foods have also experienced price explosions which have left us, I would say, perplexed… Many products have seen their prices double, or even triple ! Some of these prices are coming back down. But we are still in a very high market in terms of material costs.
A year and a half ago, you explained that you encountered difficulties in obtaining goods in sufficient quantities at attractive prices. Is this still the case ?
Following the Covid crisis, the market has been totally disrupted. This crisis was mixed with the problems of diseases specific to animals., such as bird flu, swine flu, etc. Many farms have been devastated in the south of France and in Europe. The duck is the most striking example : 24 million poultry were slaughtered last year, an absolute record ! It is this combination of causes which has caused significant supply difficulties.. Today, certain prices are falling and we are starting to find materials on the market again. I think the hardest part is over.
CHR constitutes more than 60% of your turnover. Armement des Mascareignes is the major supplier of frozen foods in this sector, in particular the best Reunionese restaurants. What are your objectives today in the CHR market? ?
Armement des Mascareignes is present in these four markets : the CHR, collective catering, supermarkets and individual customers with Comptoir du Surgelé stores. But our core business remains, indeed, Restoration. We are a major player in frozen food intended for catering thanks to the strength of our logistics, which allows us to cover the entire island of Reunion to supply around 800 restaurant customers. Also because we develop ranges for professionals that are ever closer and adapted to their expectations and their pricing policies.. for example, we have an offer that meets the needs of restaurateurs practicing fixed prices at lunchtime. Our other strength is this ability to continually evolve. We follow market trends. I regularly visit food fairs to keep up to date with new products.. Beginning of October, I went to ANUGA in Cologne, the most important international fair for the food industry. We know our restaurateurs well. We evolve with them and they evolve with us. We choose the materials that suit them best. We are making progress in this sector. There is, however, a small shadow in the picture : the arrival in Reunion of fast-food chains tends to somewhat modify local eating habits. Reunion Island must not lose this very special gastronomy that characterizes it., which is part of his identity.
“We evolve with them and they evolve with us”, you say. Can you give examples ?
At the restaurant, formerly, we often found almost always the same thing on the plates, with great classics like entrecôte. Today we offer cuts of meat that slightly change eating habits. They bring a little innovative side and curiosity to restaurant menus.
for example, American cuts of prime rib such as tomahawk, or the T-bone, which brings together fillet and sirloin around the bone. There are also Spanish cuts. We try to remove the boredom that can be found in Reunionese dishes. While ensuring, I would like to emphasize this, to respect the culinary traditions of Reunion to which we are attached. We therefore have partnerships with renowned local professionals, as a Minatchy butcher shop. Our concept is based on these two pillars. We are faithful to the boucané, rougail sausages, of everything that underpins Reunionese gastronomy, but we also want to respond to the attraction of Reunion Islanders for novelty. Reunionese customers appreciate both its traditions and the discovery of different specialties. This is why our offer is developing in these two directions : external products and local products.
The circular economy, new company strategy for three years now, results in a growing offer of local products and local recipes. Where are you in its implementation? ?
On an island where food autonomy remains difficult to achieve, the goal is to find the match between imported products and the development of local products. This is the meaning of my commitment as president of ARIBEV, the Reunion Island Interprofessional Livestock Association, meats and milk, and as a member of the Réunion Import and Trade Union. The SICR wants us to rely on importers to develop local products. There is really an outstretched hand from importers to local producers. A strong partnership must be put in place to pool logistics costs and to encourage the development of local production.. At Armement des Mascareignes, we started by offering fairly classic recipes, like samosas, plugs, cod acras, chili candies… Then, we have added to our local frozen food offering breads and pastries which are made in Reunion Island. Same thing with the cold meats from the Minatchy butcher shop. We have stopped European imports in this product segment. Today, we are trying to develop a local ice cream offering. There is a will, and a need, to develop a range of locally manufactured products. Everything speaks in favor of local, which helps generate jobs and limits the carbon footprint of products.
What place do Reunion products occupy in your catalog? ?
They represent 15% of our assortment. I consider it possible to reach 25% by establishing strong partnerships with local breeders. I am keen to find the mix between imports and local products that best meets the expectations of the local market..
In the notion of circular economy, Do you include your unsold donations to charities? ?
Our highlight, is to never throw away merchandise. A food product should not end up in the trash, unless it is unfit for consumption. This is why we give away products. We help associations that make requests to us.
Your election as president of ARIBEV and vice-president of ARIV, Réunion interprofessional poultry association, is very recent. It dates from September 30. Why did you want to access these functions? ?
Bringing together all representatives of the meat and dairy sectors around the table, ARIBEV and ARIV are associations that defend equity and sustainability of local development. Importers have their role to play in this project. By supporting the marketing of local products, we want to give volume to local production, and help it innovate. At Armement des Mascareignes, we can rely on our logistics to increase the distribution of local products to restaurants and in our Comptoir du Surgelé, and perhaps to communities and GMS. With these two functions, I would like to be able to help local development.
Armement des Mascareignes has a unique laboratory on the island. Can you specify its equipment and what it allows you to do? ?
We conduct food safety analyzes on our products as part of our quality control. We have saws to cube the products using the Creole curry cutting method., for fish and meat. We pack the products, either in a bag, either under vacuum. Ensuite, we weigh the product. We have a labeler that allows great flexibility in price labeling, promotional products and prices. We also have a cooking workshop for Black Qwehli shrimp. This shrimp raised in Mozambique is prepared in Reunion in our workshop.
Armement des Mascareignes launched this shrimp on the local market in 2022, Black Qwehli, produced by the Mozambican aquaculture farm of the Océinde group. Did it receive the reception you hoped for? ?
Yes, the reception was very good, and its volumes will grow. We are the only ones on the market to offer shrimp of this quality, with such amazing taste. This farm is located on the Zambezi River, not far from the port town of Quelimane. It benefits from the very pure water of the Zambezi, which feeds its ponds. Shrimp evolve in a completely natural environment. Also called Black Tiger, this shrimp, la Penaeus monodon, is the most appreciated by Reunion Islanders. It comes to us frozen from Mozambique. Our three-compartment cooking terminal achieves, the cooking,cooling and freezing. The products are cooked the same day and are found in an exceptional state of freshness on the fishmonger’s display., in our Frozen Food Counters and in supermarkets. You should know that shrimp is the most consumed frozen product in Reunion Island..
What do seafood products represent today in Armement des Mascareignes’ frozen food offering? ?
Seafood products constitute around 25% of our in-store turnover. Reunion Islanders have a great appetite for seafood. Having been one of the first fishing companies in Reunion, Armement des Mascareignes has strong connections and proximity with local fishing companies. We are a major player in the local fishing industry at the distribution level.
American-style smash burger, traditional French products, Japanese tempura and panko, have joined your frozen food catalog in recent months : are you in the process of developing a frozen food offering from around the world, as we talk about world cuisine ?
The Reunion clientele is very open to world cuisine due to its plural origins.. The assortment of Armement des Mascareignes is a bit of a reflection of this, we are like an atlas of the culinary habits of all countries. Food fairs, that I was talking about earlier, also open the doors of the world to us. All countries have original eating habits and specialties. Openness to the world is one of the trends, and the goal is to follow these trends, in order to respond to the curiosities of the end consumer. Take the example of mochi, which are a specialty of Japanese origin : they appeared in Reunion and were a hit. In a frozen food store, an offer open to the world is necessary. We also have a driving role in food discovery and evolution.. This is why our offer is very varied. We have 1,600 references in stores.
Frozen food is sold all over the world ?
Yes. What you need to understand, is that frozen food will be the solution to food and economic waste in the years to come. You have to know, For example, that 25% of fished products go in the trash, either on boats because they are not marketable, either in points of sale as unsold ! Furthermore, thanks to its conservation length, frozen food meets the need to respect fish reproduction periods.
The Comptoir du Surgelé brand is targeting nine points of sale in 2025, against four today. Is this program going as planned?, and where the new stores will be located ?
We still have this ambition to develop our network to reach nine points of sale. We will be able to do this thanks to our new warehouse which will open in 2024. It is a state-of-the-art ecological warehouse, cold performance and logistical capacities. From there, we will be able to quickly open new stores. There will be some in the West, in the south, and perhaps also in the North. The objective is to increase the presence of the Comptoir du Surgelé brand in order to be able to offer the level of quality and variety of our assortment to the greatest number of Reunion Islanders..
Bringing the level of culinary quality of restaurants to individuals, is this also the idea of Comptoir du Surgelé ?
Indeed. Our recognition among the best restaurateurs gives us the legitimacy to offer individuals products of the same quality as those found on restaurant menus.. Bring the restaurant to the individual, and conversely bring the individual to the restaurant, this is the desired goal.
Does the local frozen food offering also target the collective catering market?, subject to the provisions of the Egalim law, which imposes a certain level of local origin and quality of products ?
We are also a partner of collective catering. Public procurement is not one of our priority objectives, but with the opening of our new warehouse, we will be able to be more efficient in our responses to public calls for tenders. Also in collective markets, our logistics could be an asset for local production, who can rely on us in its distribution.
Large distribution represents another important part of your activity. Are frozen foods of Reunion origin also an argument for this clientele? ?
Supermarkets represent 15% of our activity. She has her own assortment. We meet their needs with targeted products : shrimp, pig, beef, etc. Which represents around sixty references, compared to 1,600 in stores. It is certain that, if local production was able to meet 100% of the cost demand, we could decline our surplus products to be frozen. This is one of the challenges of developing local production.
What place do you give to organic in your catalog? ?
We offer gluten-free products, vegans, bio. This is a trend we are following. More, with price explosions, the organic market has generally collapsed in mainland France, and in Reunion. The influence of organic is no longer what it used to be. But we continue to offer. Organic represents 2% of our offer.
Between new products and sure values, what can you tell us about the Armement des Mascareignes offer for the end of year celebrations? ?
This year, we had to anticipate the purchase of festive products much more. The logs were ordered in June, to cite just one example. This need for anticipation leads to additional costs linked to storage, but we will be able to meet all needs. Chapons, stuffed products, snails, toothfish, lobsters, salmon, foie gras, beef, desserts, logs, etc. We will have a perfectly stocked assortment for the end of year celebrations, with products of exceptional quality, as you will see in our two catalogs, one for catering, the other for Comptoir du Surgelé, which will be released on November 15.
