08.11.2024
The origins of the Mokate brand are closely linked to high-quality cappuccino, which in a very short time won the hearts of Polish consumers and became synonymous with the product. Today, Mokate means a dynamic export and innovative products that successfully win the appreciation of consumers around the world. The company has continuously been a family business, which is a great value for the brand as a whole. We talk about the company’s history, the synergy between science and business, and future plans with Dr. Sylwia Mokrysz, Member of the Management Board and Proxy at Mokate S.A.
At Mokate, quality has always been and will always be our priority. We use strict procedures for the selection of raw materials, which allows us to create products with a unique taste and aroma.
Sylwia Mokrysz
Proxy and Member of the Management Board of Mokate S.A. in Ustroń. She has introduced the LOYD brand to the top of the tea brands and put it in the game for supremacy in many markets in Europe, Asia and Africa. She has obtained the prestigious membership in “The London Tea History Association” for the Loyd brand. She has secured the position of national category leader for the Minutka tea and promoted a competitive advantage for a number of other Mokate tea brands, including Babcia Jagoda and a whole range of functional teas. She has become known as an efficient and demanding organiser of pro-quality activities and a consistent initiator of product innovations. She has brought the Mokate Group a considerable number of distinctions, awards and honorary titles. In a key period for the company’s development, she headed the “Sylwia” Advertising Agency, implementing winning marketing campaigns for the company’s flagship product – Mokate Cappuccino. The TV commercial of that beverage, as the first entirely Polish production, has entered the canon of national advertising art. More than ten subsequent TV commercials, created under her supervision, have established Mokate’s position as one of the most prominent food producers in Poland.
She holds a doctorate in social sciences in the field of management and quality. Her academic publications in the field of marketing strategies are characterised by boldness of thought and a significant degree of usefulness for business practice. Apart from work, she undertakes numerous initiatives. She is a well-known figure in the women’s entrepreneurship movement, both in Poland and internationally. She holds the title of “Polish Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship”, and in 2016 she presented our country at “Women’s Entrepreneurship Day” at the United Nations headquarters in New York. She has been involved in the global “Million Women Mentors” project, supporting the professional activation of women. Since 2014, she has been active in the Polish Women’s Entrepreneurship Network, serving the organisation with her authority and experience.
In addition to her professional and social activities, she is passionate about photography (training at international workshops) and aviation (helicopter piloting course). She has gained recognition as the co-author of the widely read novel “Herbaciarz”, and she continues this type of literary work.
What were the beginnings of the company and the origins of its name?
The history of our company dates back to 1900, when members of the Mokryszfamily became owners of a colonial store in the small town of Dobra, now in the territory of the Czech Republic. At that time, the company operated under a name derived from the surname of the owners, that is “Mokrysz”. The turning point in the development of the company was 1990, when my dad – Kazimierz Mokrysz, handed over the reins in the company to my mother. That’s when its name was changed to MOKATE, which is an acronym for three words: MOkrysz-KAzimierz-TEresa.
Our small family business transformed into the international Mokate Group and the brand became one of the most recognisable symbols of Polish business in the world. Thanks to many years of investment, Mokate has found its way to the forefront of Polish food producers, focusing on coffees, complementary teas, confectionery products and semi-finished products for the food industry.
And what were your beginnings in co-managing a family business?
Back in my school days, I dealt with Mokate’s business correspondence in English and German. In my first year of university, during a crucial period for the development of the company, I founded the “Sylwia” Advertising Agency, where I focused on communication with customers. I successfully implemented an advertising campaign for the company’s flagship product with a slogan: “Mokate Cappuccino – a star among coffees”. A 30-second instructional TV commercial was aired after the News and before the Weather Forecast – that is in prime time. This investment consumed all the family’s savings – but it was worth it. After a few weeks, we received a lot of phone calls from all over Poland with orders. Since then, “Mokate” has become synonymous with the cappuccino product, and we have taught Polish people to consume this drink….
But Mokate is not only coffee….
Our portfolio is definitely broader. Another milestone in the company’s development came in 2002, with the acquisition of a major tea producer, Consumer. It was a very different product, consumer group and operating philosophy than what we knew from our experience in the coffee industry. Tea products had to be introduced smoothly into Mokate’s portfolio. Supervision of the newly established department fell into my hands. I discovered all the richness of the world of tea at London’s “Thompson Lloyd & Ewart”, where I met true enthusiasts and connoisseurs of that beverage. Today, our teas: Minutka, Loyd and Babcia Jagoda top the sales charts, both in Poland and abroad. The Loyd brand has gained prestigious membership in “The London Tea History Association”. Every year, we manage to introduce more novelties, combine often unobvious flavours, and propose new compositions.
Quality is especially important in the food industry. What does it look like at Mokate?
At Mokate, quality has always been and will always be our priority. We use strict procedures for the selection of raw materials, which allows us to create products with a unique taste and aroma. Our investment in cutting-edge technologies and constant search for innovation prove our commitment to maintaining high standards, as evidenced by numerous awards and certifications such as: BRC, IFS Food, EN ISO 9001:2000 and EN ISO 22000:2005 standards.
“A Family Business” – what does Mokate look like today?
Currently, the company consists of four thriving, modernly equipped factories with huge warehouses. We employ more than 1,500 people. At the moment, we export our products to more than 70 countries around the world! This shows how much we have been able to achieve during this time. We continue to invest, expanding our area of operation through cooperation with companies and branches around the world. I am most proud of the fact that both my brother Adam and I are now the 4th generation to carry on the business traditions of the Mokrysz family. Celebrating the anniversary of the Mokate brand, we have enhanced our logo with the slogan “A Family Business”.
What are your company’s mission and vision?
Our mission is to create tasty products which are recognised and popular. In terms of vision, on the other hand, we aim to become one of the top 10 hot beverage producers in the world.
And what is your professional focus today?
Further work to delight our consumers.
In 2023, I founded the Coffee and Tea Market Research Institute, which is based in Ustroń and London. There, we conduct research based on scientific methods in the area of business behaviour in the food and beverage market, including the coffee and tea market. The institute also publishes a scientific journal, Coffee & Tea Marketing Journal.
I would like to launch a platform for young inventors. All those who have interesting ideas – for new products, ways of serving, promotion, ecology, lowering production costs, automation – will be able to describe and register their ideas. We look forward to hearing intriguing concepts from potential grantees.
Martyna Muszczak