NEW DELHI: ITC Master Chef Frozen Snacks has entered into a strategic partnership with Havmor Ice cream owned by the Lotte group, a South Korean conglomerate. The partnership is a part of ITC’s new routes-to-market distribution strategy and will enable ITC Master Chef to leverage 100 Havmor Ice cream carts to make available its delectable range of 15 easy-to-cook tasty snacks that will satisfy consumer cravings for tasty and healthy snacks served hot. This partnership allows ITC Master Chef to use Havmor Ice cream’s pushcart distribution network during peak season for frozen snacks (November to March) which is generally the non-peak season for ice cream in markets where winter is dominant.

It gives ITC Master Chef an opportunity to enhance availability and accessibility of its range of frozen food offerings during the winter months when the Frozen Foods industry registers a 30 per cent increase in sales vis the summer months. For Havmor Ice cream, the partnership creates incremental earning opportunities for its channel partners and vendors and helps the company leverage its operating costs during the ice cream low season. Commenting on the partnership, Ashu Phakey, Vice President and Business Head ITC Limited (Frozen Foods) said, “Healthy and convenience-based snacking as a trend is growing across the country as consumers become more health-conscious, whilst having less time on their hands due to a busy lifestyle. ITC Master Chef is a trailblazer in this space and has garnered encouraging consumer franchises driven by the taste and quality of its food offerings. Over 50 innovative ITC Master Chef frozen snacks products for both the foodservice industry as well as the retail end-users are currently available in over 100 cities through different distribution channels.

“We are glad to partner with Havmor Ice cream to further strengthen our distribution reach and offer customers a choicest range of easy-to-cook and healthy snacks through Havmor Ice cream’s sales network. With a strong distribution model in the ice cream space, we are confident that Havmor Ice cream’s consumer-centricity and extensive reach will complement our capabilities in creating innovative products to enhance the overall value offering for the customers.”