Aslan Cikolata, a recognized name in the chocolate industry

Aslan Cikolata ve Gida A.S company is a chocolate and confectionery manufacturer since 1988 in Istanbul with a daily capacity around 45 tons.
Major part of its production is sold in export countries and especially with the main licensed brand ‘’Golbon’’, which is present in biggest stores, shops, supermarkets and even in duty free shops in many countries. An official of Aslan Cikolata outlined their operations: “This year we are experiencing our 26th year in our sector. We have been continuously investing in our factory and adding additional production lines for 3 years and by the last quarter of the year all our new investments started speedily in production. We were mostly producing cocoa compound items as a subsidiary of chocolate within the demand from hot countries especially of Africa and Middle East. This item is preferred as its melting degree is higher and protection from heat is easier than real chocolate. Both for this protection advantage and price wise somehow cheaper, it has a big demand. But during last years we got demands for a more luxury taste of chocolates, so we started our real cocoa butter chocolate lines and after a short time we started our pectin based vegetarian soft jelly candies. “We would like to explain the difference in pectin based jellies and actual jellies mostly consumed in world. Generally the jellies in market consumed are produced with animal gelatins, mainly derived from cows and even is demanded in market with a considerable quantities, there were doubts that if this is halal or not or for the vegetarians it was not acceptable. From this view of point our new genera – tion jellies are produced with the fruit based material called ‘’pectin’’ which is mostly derived from apple and other fruits and with this new formula now will be more accepted by the consum – ers which is very delicious and has no doubt, as is vegetarian and Halal and all the flavors and food colorings used are natural. The consciousness in food health directed us to use this way of production without hesitating in cost increases. “Besides all our developments in pro – duction, R&D, new lines and all, in ex – ports, we are facing an extraordinary situation effecting all producers in and out of sector. In exports department within 5 professionals we are taking front the world map and wherever we target with fingertips, there is a problem in terms of politics, war and inner situation, We are both getting sad for our friends, customers working for long years and who became more than brothers for us and we are getting much effected in our sales volumes de – creases as a company who exports to over 80 countries in 6 continents. “We believe that this situations will not stop so short but neither will not continue so longer and the world markets again will be more stable in a few years but we should do one thing to overcome this extraordinary situation. As a team in exports, we should work twice triple harder to find new markets for our products until the stability in our existing markets regained. Our products has entered to 8 more new markets in last 3 moths, we have first sent our chocolates to Chad and Colombia, the first time our fruit based jellies has got place in markets in USA and Germany. This year we will increase the search of new markets. “One of the most happy instances we face during our business is, many times our Turkish tourists going abroad and returning with our products especial ‘‘Golbon’’ as a present when returning back to Turkey. From Hajj (pilgrimage) Umreh (visit to Holly Qa’ba) when they came back they bring ‘’ Golbon’’ chocolate as gift again, lastly we heard from one of our friends that he got present from Singapore airport a big Aslan chocolate pack as a present. People think that it is produced there when seeing our products among biggest world brands. “In fact the tradition for Turkish people of bringing chocolate and candy each time when going abroad as a tourist has finished a couple of years ago. Nowadays we are all capable of producing high quality chocolates and most fashioned packaging in our country as well. Aslan Chocolate is also a leading company in producing most delicious chocolate recipes and having over hundreds of new formulas, generating packaging flexibility and fashion nice looking designs and have a young, professional team which are full concentrated to achieve targets and needs of our customers. “We have just returned from Sial Paris Food Exhibition and now we are prepared for Sweets and Snacks Dubai, FHC China Shanghai, ISM Cologne and Gulfood and we will present all our wide range of tasty chocolates, jellies and candies.”