Sântimbru, Alba – October 9, 2024. The Authentic Romanian Program, initiated by TRANSAVIA In 2022, mark the National Day of Romanian Agri-Food Products, celebrated on October 10, by celebrating the values of authenticity, quality, and safety of domestic products. With a cumulative turnover of 750 million euros and over 5,000 employees, #Autentic Românesc brings together large, traditional companies with start-up Romanian companies that are united by the same values, a desire for sustainable development, and a commitment to promoting the image of Romanian product quality abroad through their exports: TRANSAVIA, Artisan, Recaș Winery, Monte Banato (Pangram Reșița), Mobexpert, Theodora Golf Club, Grandma’s Delights, Safala poem Solina Romania.
„The Authentic Romanian program, initiated by Fragedo by TRANSAVIA, is a story about optimism and the essential impact of national brands in our lives. Optimism, because we managed to gather together more brands than ever before, proof that our vision is shared by an increasing number of producers and understood from the perspective of the importance of collaboration. Optimism, because we jointly support the effort to present how we obtain, choose, and prepare our food every day. The values of authenticity and quality strengthen the attachment to Romanian brands and we climb to the top of customer preferences, while supporting the local economy and Romania's sustainable development.”, declares Linda Willy, Marketing Director of TRANSAVIA.
Customers expect Romanian brands to be open to novelty, innovation, the reinterpretation of tradition, and the combination with elements from other cultures. That is why, in October, Authentic Romanian # proposes a new original recipe to Romanian consumers, featuring authentic, quality ingredients produced by the program's partners and brought to life in an innovative way, masterfully crafted by Chef Marcian Vodnar: Saltimbocca alla romana with Fragedo chicken breast, sage, gratin tomatoes with flaxseed oil and cheese with peperoncino.
„We begin with an Italian-inspired recipe, but prepared entirely with local ingredients, to the taste of everyone who loves to travel and discover other culinary cultures, but who do not forget, at the same time, to appreciate the Romanian one, say Chef Marcian Vodnar.
The launch of the 3rd season of the Authentic Romanian program at the beginning of October will inspire cooking enthusiasts and foodies to support, buy, and use Romanian brands, to integrate local ingredients, sustainably produced by the program's partners, into their daily routine, imagining recipes that abound in creativity and happily combine international trends with local tradition.
„In Romanian cuisine, authenticity and the quality of ingredients are essential. At Artesana, we firmly believe that using Romanian, natural, and healthy ingredients not only enhances the taste of our dishes, but also supports local traditions and the economy. We are delighted and honored to participate in the „Autentic Românesc” program, because this way we share with all of you the joy of cooking and savoring authentic dishes, full of flavor and health, prepared with love and respect for our nature and traditions.” – Alina Donici, Managing Partner Artesana.
The #Autentic Românesc program is based on a shared set of values and objectives among the partners involved: supporting Romanian businesses, promoting Romanian brands and national cuisine, using high-quality, sustainably sourced ingredients.
„Monte Banato is celebrating an anniversary, marking 30 years of culinary tradition, and we couldn't have done it better than alongside the Romanian brand partners of the Authentic Romanian program. Together, our message is even stronger: dear Romanians, buy and consume Romanian products with the utmost confidence.”, urges Margareta Vieriu, Pangram Marketing Director.
We expect to continue seeing a greater openness of retailers towards manufacturer brands, due to changing consumer preferences. According to an INSCOP survey[1], 72.2% prefer to buy Romanian products even if they are more expensive, because they are healthier and acts to support local communities.
„Participating as main partners of the Authentic Romanian project for the third consecutive year gives us the opportunity to carry forward the values that define us at Cramele Recaș: innovation, authenticity, and respect for local resources. We have been alongside our partners from Transavia since the very first edition of this project, because we want to demonstrate that Romanian products can be highlighted #IMplicitly both through their quality and through the story they tell. Every recipe we support in this project represents a window into Romania's culinary traditions, perfectly harmonized with our wines. For us at Cramele Recaș, #AutenticRomânesc means promoting sustainability, capitalizing on local heritage, and offering consumers experiences that remind them of the purely Romanian essence of each product.”, mentions Paul Aparaschivei, Marketing Director Cramele Recaș.
The approach consists of creating original recipes that use high-quality and sustainable ingredients from partners, organizing contests with exclusive benefits, producing authentic content, and engaging in premium experiences for Romanian consumers.
„Through the Authentic Romanian program, supporting small producers in Romania represents an important step in increasing their market visibility. Associating with this wonderful project creates a real opportunity for Romanian products to be rediscovered by as many people as possible, so that the concept of bringing back the taste of traditional dishes to the table can take shape more and more prominently.”, say Theodora Niculescu, Founder of Grandma’s Delights.
„It is both an honor and a great responsibility for us to participate in the #Autentic Românesc program alongside renowned Romanian companies loved by millions of consumers nationwide. In a rapidly developing market, we see a growing focus on a healthier lifestyle, and our natural raspberry and hazelnut products meet the increasingly high demands of the Romanian people. The fact that we can produce healthy and delicious food at the same time in a once-isolated mountain commune at risk of depopulation, and that we successfully contribute to rural development and create value, gives us the energy to keep going every day and overcome all challenges, specify Oana and Bogdan Lerescu, co-founders of Safala Organic Farm Șinteu.
„We are glad to be part of this project alongside our partner Transavia. Together, we showcase technical knowledge and culinary creativity, using the sauces and spices from the Apollo range, which offer all the necessary expertise to make food matter., say Mihai Tecu, Food Service Manager, Solina Romania.
The collaboration between the #Autentic Românesc partners does not stop at gastronomy, but also extends to quality Romanian products dedicated to the home and outdoor relaxation.
„We are pleased to be part, for the third consecutive year, of the Authentic Romanian program, an important initiative for promoting Romanian values and products.
Our Made in Romania collection, created in our own factories, reflects our dedication to quality, authentic design, and innovation, ranking at the top of our customers” preferences., show Adelina Badea, CEO of Mobexpert.
„Our partnership with #Autentic Românesc reflects our commitment to authenticity, quality, and local products, which we combine with excellence in service. We thus succeed in putting Romania on the list of attractive tourist destinations, where guests from the country and around the world can discover the pleasure of playing golf at international standards, as well as the joy of a delicious meal, accompanied by a glass of wine or a cocktail on The View terrace and the moments of relaxation spent in the heart of nature,” mentions Debora Cordea, Resort Manager of Theodora Golf Club.
The National Day of Romanian Agri-Food Products, celebrated since 2017 on October 10, is an opportunity to celebrate and promote quality domestic products and their contribution to the development of the national economy. This day highlights the importance of supporting local production and promoting Romanian brands on the domestic and international markets. According to Article 2 of Law 168/2017, „a Romanian agri-food product means a product obtained on the national territory from basic raw materials originating in a 100% proportion from farms in Romania and having the Romanian flag inscribed on the label.”.
About TRANSAVIA
TRANSAVIA is the leader of the local poultry meat market, being one of the most important family businesses, which owns and produces the brand of Fragedo chicken meat and Papane chicken-based semi-prepared foods. Included in the top most valuable portfolios in Romania, TRANSAVIA operates sustainably with a vertically integrated business model, based on the best practices and strictest protocols throughout the entire production and distribution chain, from the bowl to the fork.
In its over 33 years of activity, TRANSAVIA has constantly invested in modernization and state-of-the-art technology and has adopted innovation as a source of sustainable business growth and predictability for the future. One of the largest Romanian employers, TRANSAVIA currently has over 2,300 employees, who work predominantly in the 31 poultry breeding farms and the 4 crop production farms, in the feed mill, in the 3 state-of-the-art slaughterhouses, and in the meat processing plant.
At TRANSAVIA farms, located in 8 counties of Romania, over 100,000 tons of chicken meat are produced annually. Approximately 30% percent of the company's annual production goes to export, to several European states and other continents. Fragedo, the company's flagship brand, is the first brand in Romania to display the seal on its TV commercial following the evaluation of the Romanian Advertising Council (RAC) Ethical Brand, certifying compliance with ethical principles and good advertising practices. TRANSAVIA is the only company with 100% Romanian capital that has committed to the standards to be a co-signatory of the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices. For more information, visit https://transavia.ro/.
About CRAMELE RECAȘ
Cramele Recaș ranks first on the Romanian wine market by turnover, and is also the largest exporter of bottled wine in Romania, accounting for about 55% of all local wine that crosses the border. The Banat-based producer farms approximately 1,200 hectares of vineyards located in Recaș, with a storage capacity of about 39,000,000 liters per year. The winemakers of Crama Recaș, Hartley Smithers (Australia) and Nora Iriarte (Spain), were included in 2020 in the list of the top 100 winemakers worldwide, following the ranking compiled by the international wine magazine „The Drinks Business”. The producer covers a wide range of market segments, from entry-level to premium and super-premium, also imposing a taste diversity of the ranges, from white, dry, fresh, or barrel-aged, to sparkling and dessert wines.
About PANGRAM – MONTE BANATO
Since 1994, pasta Monte Banato uniting through tradition the gastronomic culture of each region of Romania. We have a national presence in approx. 10,000 stores. In Reșița, the future sounds good. Monte Banato aims both to consolidate its market position and the achievements of recent years, in parallel with investments in increasing efficiency and productivity in the factory, through process automation. The brand's current turnover is 10 million Euros, doubled thanks to investments over the last 4 years, and we take pride in a strong team of 135 employees, of whom 10 people have over 25 years of seniority. Visit https://montebanato.ro/ and you will find a lot of interesting information.
About Mobexpert
The Mobexpert Group was founded 31 years ago and is a Romanian company, owned by entrepreneur Dan Șucu. Mobexpert is a vertically integrated company that handles everything from product design and development through manufacturing and retail, all the way to the end customer. Mobexpert’s regional network includes 26 hypermarkets and smaller stores, as well as an online store, www.mobexpert.ro
The Mobexpert Group has 2,100 employees and an annual turnover of approximately 260 million euros. The Mobexpert Group also owns eight furniture factories that produce for the Romanian market and for export. Mobexpert also includes 8 Mobexpert Outlet stores dedicated to special offers, located in Bucharest, Suceava, Constanța, Brașov, Sibiu, and Pitești.
About ARTESANA
Artesana was founded in 2012 out of the ambition and desire of its founders, Alina and Daniel Donici, to offer unique, artisanal dairy products made from minimally processed milk in glass packaging, without compromise. A family business, grown sustainably and in accordance with the highest business principles, Artesana dairy products have been on the Romanian market and in modern retail for almost 12 years. Today, Artesana products can be found in over 2,500 stores nationwide, in nearly 50 varieties and dairy recipes. Following an investment of over 6 million Euros in the second factory in the city of Tecuci, Galați County, Artesana's dairy production has the potential to increase up to ten times compared to the old factory. For 2024, the company estimates revenues of 12 million euros.
About Theodora Golf Club
The Theodora Golf Club resort in the village of Teleac, Ciugud commune, Alba county, offers its guests over 62 hectares where the noble sport of golf and relaxation blend perfectly. The golf course, spanning 56 hectares with 18 courses totaling 6,518 meters in length, also includes one of the longest holes in Europe: a par 6 of 735 m. The other 7 hectares are occupied by the resort's villas and other facilities: 15 luxury villas with 84 four-star rooms, an indoor conference room with 150 seats, an outdoor pavilion for events, and a panoramic room offering a spectacular view of the entire golf course, ideal for private dining or business meetings, an outdoor swimming pool for the warm season, clubhouse-which encompasses a driving range indoor, un pro shop, cloakroom, The View restaurant, with an international menu à la carte and a Lounge Bar with 160 seats inside and 90 seats on the terrace.
For more information, visit: http://theodoragolfclub.com/ro
About SAFALA ORGANIC FARM ȘINTEU
„We respect, love, and protect nature—this is the creed of the fruit-growing company aimed at producing the safest and healthiest food. Located on the peaks of the Plopiș Mountains, in the Șinteu commune (Bihor County), it offers a beautiful community and a natural environment suitable for planting, in the middle of the forest, over 7 hectares of raspberries and hazelnuts, cultivated entirely in an organic system.
Starting with the first hazelnut harvest of 2023, we have continuously innovated recipes that add value to the taste of roasted hazelnuts coated in premium chocolate or covered with a wide variety of spices. We are a small family business with big dreams, and we want to bring joy into the homes of Romanians with products grown and processed right here in our country, delivered by courier to every corner of the nation. We invite you to discover all the new additions to our product portfolio by visiting our website and online store at www.safala.ro or on Facebook at @SafalaOrganicFarm
About GRANDMA’S DELIGHTS
We are Tedi and Theodora Niculescu, and we operate in Dâmbovița County, in the commune of Brănești, in the village of Priboiu. Our business story began in 2018, in a picturesque village on the grounds of a former military base, with a single 150-square-meter vegetable greenhouse and dishes cooked in clay pots, which we gave to friends and acquaintances. Due to growing demand, the crops were expanded and certified as organic, and in 2020, a processing facility was built with two fully equipped and authorized production lines: one for processing fruits and vegetables and the other for cold-pressed oils. This allows for the production of a wide range of natural 100% products under the „Grandma’s Delights” brand. The raw materials used come from our own crops, and whatever cannot currently be sourced from our own land is purchased solely from local producers to supplement our supply. The concept is to bring back the authentic flavors of the dishes found in our grandparents’ homes, and our goal is to offer high-quality products.
About APOLLO FOOD ROMANIA
The Apollo Food Romania brand is created especially for professional chefs, out of a passion for everything that means good taste.
Apollo Food is a reliable partner in creating successful menus, offering a diverse range of sauces, dish bases, seasonings, and marinades. The products are specially designed for versatility in the professional kitchen. Whether it is a rich and creamy reduction or a base for a delicious soup, Apollo Food solutions stimulate culinary creativity. The easy-to-use packaging is simple to handle, saving precious time without compromising the quality of the dishes. Apollo is the master of culinary creations, facilitating culinary excellence and supporting chefs in their efforts to create unforgettable dining experiences.
