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Local MSMEs go head-to-head in Tehbotol Sosro’s culinary creation competition
Six entries out of 600 creations from 497 food businesses were selected to head to Pos Bloc Jakarta for the main event.
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(Courtesy of Tehbotol Sosro)
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em>A visitor tries Teh Sejuk (tea with kasturi orange and aloe vera) from a micro, small and medium enterprise based in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, during Tehbotol Sosro’s Original Culinary Creation Competition, which ran from July to November 2021 in six cities across the country. Six entries out of 600 creations from 497 food businesses were selected to head to Pos Bloc Jakarta for the main event.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have contributed at least 50 percent to Indonesia's gross domestic income since before the pandemic, according to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Ministry. Today, their potential is as great as ever as the economy recovers.
In the food and beverage (F&B) industry, for example, bottled tea giant Tehbotol Sosro discovered over 497 MSMEs through the company’s Original Culinary Creation Competition, held over five months from July to November 2021 in six cities: Palembang (South Sumatra), Majalengka (West Java), Surakarta (Central Java), Pontianak (West Kalimantan), Yogyakarta and Malang (East Java).
The event was part of Tehbotol Sosro's #LocalsUnite campaign that aimed to encourage young creators, entrepreneurs and local brands to showcase their innovations in F&B, apparel and art.
The competition selected a winning entry from each city that were then sent to the final in Jakarta, where they presented original recipes using local ingredients and Tehbotol Sosro products and went head-to-head against each other.
The final was held on May 14 in conjunction with an F&B festival at Pos Bloc Jakarta in Central Jakarta. During a closed-door session, the six finalists carefully presented their creations and the story behind their creations to the jury, which comprised of creative culinary creator and chef Dade Akbar, M Bloc Group founder Handoko Hendroyono and PT Sinar Sosro general manager brand marketing Denta Anggakusuma.
The six finalists then returned to their booths at the festival, where they presented their culinary creations to visitors as well as journalists while waiting for the jury to select the winner.
Denta Anggakusuma told The Jakarta Post that he appreciated the contestants for going all-out in the competition, noting how far the MSMEs had come throughout the #LocalsUnite series of events.
"Locals Unite doesn't just showcase MSMEs in the culinary sector, but also those in apparel and art. But specifically for food and beverage MSMEs, the most significant impact we've made is a workshop that brought speakers who have been successful with their own culinary businesses at the national level, to motivate our MSME friends in other regions," Denta said.
"Today, we're selecting three winners from [among] the recipes that feature the best fusion between Tehbotol Sosro and local culinary traditions,” he continued.
“What makes this entire campaign special isn't just the enthusiasm from MSMEs, but also the overwhelming support from the government, including mayors and all involved departments."
Participating MSMEs took home 100 percent of the proceeds they made from selling their products throughout the campaign, Denta stressed. He said that the event’s most significant accomplishment was seeing the MSMEs grow to their full potential, especially in the highly competitive culinary market of niche products that used locally sourced ingredients.
"What we need to preserve is the authenticity of local recipes, but the local culinary scene in every region needs new and exciting products,” he said.
“They can start from the basics by creating a new product that can spark consumer interest. Next is marketing with digitalization and [advertising].
“Businesses must be aware of the methods they need to use to attract more sales, especially now that the e-commerce scene is growing. They need to consider distribution, attractive packaging and how to sell beyond their own region,” Denta emphasized.
Tehbotol Sosro is looking to expand beyond the six cities featured in #LocalsUnite, including satellite cities.
"You can imagine why we chose Majalengka, which, from a general perspective, isn't that big of a city. However, that's the spirit of Tehbotol Sosro. We believe in the potential of MSMEs, not just in large cities but also in small towns," he said.
The winners of Tehbotol Sosro's 2021 Original Culinary Creation Competition are: third-place winner Imma from Majalengka with batik grinding Tehbotol Sosro roll cake, and runner-up Renata from Solo with Creatos (Creamy Tehbotol Sosro wheat cake in a cup).
The grand-prize winner was Yunita Rahma “Cik Ari” Sari from Palembang with Pindang Deleg Tehbotol Sosro Anti Galau (steamed fish with Tehbotol and spices), who was awarded Rp 100 million (US$6,805) in prize money and business development assistance from Tehbotol Sosro.
The three winners of Original Culinary Creation Competition, part of Tehbotol Sosro’s #LocalsUnite campaign, pose with fellow finalists on May 14 at Pos Bloc Jakarta in Central Jakarta. Yunita Rahma Sari (third left, front) from Palembang, South Sumatra, won the grand prize with her Pindang Deleg Tehbotol Sosro Anti Galau (steamed fish with Tehbotol and spices).
