Made in Macao

Lucullus Food and Wines – Macao’s First ISO22000 firm

“Anyone in the catering business must have heard of Lucullues”, said Mr. William Li, General Manager of Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd., stating that he has great confidence in his company.

Lucullus Food and Wines is a food and wines supplier from Hong Kong, that entered the Macao market in 2006. As the only food and wines supplier with ISO22000 certifi cation in Macao, it established itself in the market in just two year.

Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd. was established in Hong Kong in 1976 and has a more than three decade history in the area of food and wine marketing.

Mr. Li told Macao Image the original aim of establishing Lucullus Food and Wines Co.Ltd. was to provide fine food to Hong Kong hotels, such as the Peninsula Hotel and Kowloon Hotel, a service it continues to provide. .Their good co-operation relationship is based on Lucullus’s constant emphasis on food safety and quality.

Mr. Li said his company decided to set up an office, factory and production line in Macao as it was attracted by the bright future for the local hotel sector boosted by Macao’s booming tourism and gaming industries.

It took the company roughly six months to set up and finish all necessary preparations.Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd. Food and Wines Co. (Macao) was officially established and started business operation in 2006. The total production area covers 12,000 square feet, with the total equipment investment amounting to more than two million patacas.The total number of employees stands at around thirty.

Using High Standards to Conquer the Market
Mr. Li said his company adopted the ISO22000 standard when it established its production base in Macao.The equipment production standard is in line with the food safety supervision standard used by NASA of the USA. According to Mr. Li, the procurement,transportation, processing, cooking and delivery of raw materials and foods are strictly monitored. Once a problem arises, the cause can be found quickly and accurately. Apart from that, before being dispatched to customers,all products have to be tested to insure that the safety standards are observed.

ISO22000 was introduced in 1960s consisting of a set of food safety supervision standards used by the United States to guarantee the quality of food for astronauts. The standard edition of ISO22000 was established in 2005 and is used to monitor the safety of production in the global food supply chain.All food manufacturers can apply for this certification, so many restaurant groups or hotels are using this global standard to select their food suppliers. Therefore, it has become a “ticket” to luxury hotels as they use the standard to choose their food manufacturers.

Confidence and Hard Work
Mr. Li describes the operation of Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd. in Macao, as “good”. After two years of hard work, the company now has high-class customers such as the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, Wynn Resort, MGM Macao, StarWorld Hotel,Grand Lisboa Hotel and other major luxury hotels in Macao.

The ISO22000 certifi cation has helped the company gain a market share in Macao in merely two years as most luxury hotels,especially foreign-invested ones, require ISO22000 certifi cation when selecting food suppliers. This unique advantage has facilitated Lucullus’s entry into Macao market.

Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd. has three lines that produce foods,including cakes,desserts and chocolate items. The Macao factory includes a special production line for cakes; the daily capacity has risen from 300 to 400 items to 4,000 to 5000 items.

Mr. Li pointed out that Lucullus still has great development potential in Macao. He expects the factory’s second and third production lines to be set up in one or two years.Mr. Li said this was proof of his company’s great confi dence in Macao.

Lucullus Food & Wines (Macau) Co., Ltd markets, among other items, products of “Lucullus Assortment”, “Meat Products of Lucullus” and “Gift Boxes and Baskets of Lucullus Chocolate.” With the valuable support if IPIM, Lucullus successfully recruited staff in Macao and launched its local operation. The company is now pro-actively exploring Macao bakery and other foodstuff market segments,including hotels and restaurants. The company is also keeping in close contact with IPIM to find more business opportunities to promote its products and quality services.

Asked about the adjustment of travelpermit procedures for mainland tourists planning to visit Macao and a possible economic slowdown in caused by the global financial crisis, Mr. Li said he continued to have full confi dence in Macao’s future.

Lucullus Food and Wines Co. Ltd. has a history of more than three decades in Hong Kong, during that period, Hong Kong went through economic vicissitudes many times,such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the SARS epidemic. “It is natural for the economy to experience different cycles. But one’s company can be sustainable as long as one has confi dence in the market and sticks to one’s quality standards,”Mr. Li said.