Făgăraș-based organic blueberry farm Dealul cu Afine launched a new global brand amid plans to reach several international markets in the next 12 months. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, and the UK are targeted for expansion, with UAE and Germany first on the list this year.

The farm currently has 10 ha of land in the Toderița village, near Făgăraș, Brașov county, and a processing plant in Iași. Since acquiring the blueberry farm in 2016, owner Ajay Naqvi and his family have invested about EUR 1 million in capacity building, brand building and product development. EUR 800,000 were raised from international investors.

After growing the local brand Dealul cu Afine, with more than 30,000 kg of blueberry fruits sold in Romania every year, the company launched a new product – a 100% organic blueberry juice with no added water and no preservatives. And, amid expansion plans, Dealul cu Afine decided to change its visual identity and name. The new brand, called The Blue Renaissance, focuses on products made 100% from the organic blueberries grown at the Toderița village farm.

“Given all the love Dealul cu Afine was getting in Romania and the huge potential the global organic beverages market has, we are happy to announce that we are launching our quality products worldwide under the name The Blue Renaissance. We make 100% blueberry juice, organic certified, with nothing added, not even water. This is a powerful statement that has attracted our investors, but also important retailers in Asia and Western Europe,” said Ajay Naqvi, CEO of The Blue Renaissance.

“Global juice industry is about USD 150 billion, but there is very little real juice in that USD 150 billion. It’s mostly water, sugar and concentrates. We challenged the status quo of fruit beverages by creating a juice that is both healthy and tasty without adding sugar or preservatives. This is why we believe our Romanian brand will become the default choice for people who want to live healthy lives all over the world,” he added.

The first countries targeted for expansion in 2023 are UAE and Germany, where the company plans to sell its organic blueberry juice and new products such as other berry blends and seven ready-to-drink blueberry smoothie powder formulas.

“In markets like Germany, we will first address HORECA channels, and in Dubai, we are starting off with pharmacy channels and hospital cafes. We will follow that up with big key accounts - retailers and super retailers,” Ajay Naqvi explained.

Dealul Cu Afine estimates production of 50-80,000 litres of organic juice in the next six months, meaning a total of about 250.000 bottles, as the company’s plan is to increase the production capacity to 1,500 bottles per hour.

For 2023 and 2024, The Blue Renaissance allocated EUR 400,000 in investments in capacity building, logistics, R&D, human resources, and new product development. The company has already invested EUR 200,000 in the last year in defining its global brand proposition and the production line.

The Blue Renaissance started as Dealul cu Afine in 2016 when the owner Ajay Naqvi and his wife Ramona Naqvi, who is a co-founder of the company, bought the small blueberry plantation near Făgăraș. Now, after over six years and raising several rounds of investments totalling EUR 800,000, the Romanian company is valued at EUR 6 million. Top executives from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are among the current investors.

This year, the company aims to raise another EUR 2 million from investors to boost its processing capacity and global expansion.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: the company)