Barry Callebaut launches Focus for Growth action plan

Barry Callebaut Group has announced Focus for Growth, a disciplined action plan to accelerate operational and financial performance. Serving more than 15,000 customers globally, the Group’s plan reflects a clear reset in focus: stabilising core operations and concentrating resources on a reduced number of priorities with the highest potential for value creation for all stakeholders.

“Focus for Growth marks a shift toward sharper investment choices combined with driving operating discipline across the Group. Following a period of unprecedented industry disruption and transformation, we must first stabilize our fundamentals, restore customer service and prioritise customer-centricity. At the same time, we are accelerating our focus on higher-value and differentiated solutions for everyday chocolatey occasions. By focusing on ten must-win markets, prioritizing Gourmet, scaling select Specialties and strengthening our premium offerings across the portfolio, we aim to drive above market volume and revenue growth with enhanced profit and returns. Further, we will continue to diversify our sourcing portfolio as the world’s largest cocoa bean processor to safeguard future supply security and enhance operational resilience,” said Hein Schumacher, CEO.

Across the cocoa, chocolate and food manufacturing segments, long-term structural trends are shifting value toward higher‑quality, differentiated and responsible solutions. Chocolate remains a preferred choice for consumers and is increasingly used in growing segments such as ice cream and healthy snacking options. Globally, consumer preferences are increasingly bifurcating between seeking premium experiences and prioritising value and affordability, which is driving innovation, recipe reformulation and growth in compounds and fillings. Sustainability expectations are rising, with responsible sourcing expected by customers and continuing to be a key differentiator.

Focus for Growth is Barry Callebaut’s response to these evolving consumer preferences: a plan designed to restore execution excellence and capture growth where customers’ needs are evolving fastest. It reinforces the strengths of the Group’s integrated business model while intentionally pivoting towards higher‑value, indulgent solution selling.

Focus for Growth sets a clear strategic direction, concentrating Barry Callebaut’s efforts on the areas with the greatest potential to drive long‑term value creation. Focus for Growth is underpinned by five growth priorities, while continuing to strengthen and stabilize the Group’s fundamentals:

Global Accounts: unlocking full growth potential with seven targeted global accounts 

• Translating customer growth agendas into clear commercial, innovation and service commitments across regions

• Expanding joint sustainability and cocoa sourcing partnerships

• Strengthening global account leadership under CEO oversight, combining clear direction with strong regional execution

Regional Food Manufacturers: restoring reliability and capturing growth in 10 priority markets 

• Regaining momentum in mature, high-value markets by strengthening service and quality, defending core positions and capturing growth in attractive segments such as biscuits, bakery, ice cream, “better-for-you” and Private Label

• Building share in the most attractive emerging markets, including Brazil and Indonesia

• Region-specific strategies to ensure a relevant, winning portfolio, including cross-selling of Specialties where it strengthens customer solutions and aligning capacity with regional demand

Gourmet: systematically capturing opportunities in key markets, by enhancing availability of the core portfolio and building a stronger brand and channel proposition

• Building a sharper route-to-market, supported by a focused core portfolio and improved availability

• Strengthening brand positioning with clear premium and mainstream offerings

• Leading chocolate recipe inspiration globally through enhanced digital Callebaut CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM experiences

Specialties: scaling select margin-accretive solutions

• Prioritising high-value added, technologically differentiated categories aligned with Group’s capabilities

• Linking Speciality choices to targeted markets and segments across Food Manufacturers and Gourmet, whilst advancing our position as a holistic solutions provider

• Supporting growth opportunities through targeted capacity investments

Cocoa powders: accelerating growth in premium, differentiated segments

• Optimising portfolio and customer mix toward premium segments and prioritising developed markets, with selective expansion into high-growth markets

• Accelerating innovation in differentiated and technically complex products such as black, low-fat and organic powders

• Enhancing capacity flexibility and competitiveness across the value chain

Looking ahead, the Group expects a gradual recovery of market demand following a period of exceptional volatility. As a result, Barry Callebaut expects to see a return to 1-3% volume growth over the next 12-18 months.

The Group also reiterates its guidance for fiscal year 2025/26, with volume expected to decrease between -1% and -3% and with a return to positive growth in the second half. On profitability, the Group continues to expect a mid-teens decrease in EBIT recurring in local currencies with the majority of the absolute decrease recovered at the level of Profit before tax recurring in local currencies. Profitability outlook is subject to potential impacts from disruption in the Middle East. Deleverage progress is expected to continue with a plan to reach <3.0x Net debt / EBITDA recurring, with a working cocoa bean price assumption of around GBP 3,000.