In the July 2024 issue of “Sami Swoi”, Sylwia Mokrysz confirms the presence of Mokate brands on the British market

Polish company MOKATE makes inroads in the UK

MOKATE is a brand that has been known in Poland for years, mainly for its instant coffee, cappuccino and various teas. The company also has a strong position in other countries, including the UK. Sylwia Mokrysz, a member of the management team of this family-owned company, talks about its history, development and plans.

Mokate is a family-owned company with a long tradition. Please tell us about the history of the family business.

The history of my family’s business began more than 100 years ago. At that time, Josef Mokryš, my great-grandfather’s brother, opened the first shop in Dobra (now in the Czech Republic), selling coffee and tea, among other products. The entrepreneurial gene was passed on from generation to generation, and by the end of the 1990s the ‘Mokrysz’ company was thriving in the food sector, employing dozens of people.

Then my Mum, Teresa Mokrysz, took over the reins of the company. No one was surprised. Despite her professional career, my Mum continued to help my Dad run the family business. My brother and I were old enough not to need constant care. In addition, all the circumstances, both family and economic, created such a friendly atmosphere that Mum was able to spread her wings in the business. Dad, in particular, believed strongly in her talent and intuition.

Our parents were already involving us in the running of the business. They did not exert pressure, but rather exchanged ideas and had long conversations. It was during one of these that the idea of renaming the company was born. I remember us sitting around with sheets of paper with different suggestions. In the end, we came up with the name MOKATE: MOkrysz, KAzimierz, TEresa. It was perfect, sonorous, easy to remember. And at the same time, it was strongly associated with our family.

But that was just the beginning of the changes.

Yes, because the biggest change was in our business profile. We were one of the first companies in Poland to introduce powdered creamer and then cappuccino. At that time, these were absolute novelties on the market.

At present, Mokate has three production plants – in Ustron, Zory, and Votice in the Czech Republic. Mokate’s annual turnover is almost 1.5 billion PLN, 80 per cent of which comes from foreign markets. The company employs over 1500 people worldwide. Mokate’s best-known brands include: LOYD, Mokate, NY-Coffee, Minutka (Just a Minute), Marila, Marizzi, Babcia Jagoda

In what other markets is the company active? Where is the biggest scope of activity now?

At present, the Mokate Group consists of several companies operating in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the UK, which export their products to almost all the countries in the world.

As far as the UK is concerned, we see it as a very promising market. We have invested a lot in the appropriate structures and sales organisation here. As a result, our products are already available outside the ‘ethnic’ shops and are very popular.

It is worth mentioning that in 2017 the LOYD brand was accepted as a member of The London Tea History Association, a prestigious association with the aim of documenting the history of tea and the UK’s contribution to the tea industry.

You have supported the company in the area of advertising and promotion, among other things. There was a time when the company’s advertising was very distinctive. We all remember the Mokate Cappuccino commercials. Was that your work? Please tell us how the reality of advertising your products has changed over the years?

I have always been interested in marketing, promotion and advertising. During my first year at university, which was the key period for the development of the company, I founded the advertising agency ‘Sylwia’. I focused on communication with clients. I created an advertising campaign for the company’s cult product with the slogan: “Mokate Cappuccino – a Star among Coffees”. At that time, this TV commercial was the first completely Polish production and thus entered the canon of national advertising art. Since then, ‘Mokate’ has become synonymous with cappuccino.

Another milestone in the company’s development was the acquisition of a large tea producer, Consumer. We entered this market sector in the autumn of 2002. It was a completely different product, consumer and operating philosophy to what we knew from our experience in the coffee industry. The advertising spot for this tea featured Polish singer Justyna Steczkowska, who described working on the set as follows: ‘Everything was perfectly prepared, I was able to concentrate on creating a fairytale atmosphere. I’m very pleased with the final result – I tried to bring out all the magic of Loyd tea, and I think I succeeded.’

The “Tea with a Touch of Magic” commercial used the latest visual techniques. There were references to “Alice in Wonderland” in the advert, with lanterns of happiness floating upwards in the form of pyramids, a symbol of mystery, energy and mysticism.. For a moment, we looked into the magical world of tea…

In turn, the Minutka (Just a Minute) brand has often appeared as part of product placements on TV screens in Polish series such as “Ranczo” (The Ranch), “Ojciec Mateusz” (Father Matthew), “Nad rozlewiskiem” (By the Backwater), “Na Wspólnej” (On Wspólna Street), “Klan” (Clan) and in the programmes “Jaka to melodia” (Name That Tune) and “Familiada” (Family Fortunes).

You are the head of the Coffee & Tea Market Research Institute. Please tell us a little about it.

I am now continuing my work on new teas and the way they are served, as well as many other issues, at the Coffee & Tea Market Research Institute (based in Ustron and London). I set it up last year. There we carry out research based on scientific methods in the area of business behaviour in the food and beverage market, including the coffee and tea market.

This association is the culmination of my passion for coffee and tea. In addition to analysing the coffee and tea market, the Institute popularises knowledge about these fascinating beverages. It brings together the research, scientific and business communities, including universities and people starting out in business.

In addition, it is involved in, among other things, the development of new products (which is by no means easy in the case of coffee and tea), training and facilitating self-education, the organisation of conferences, meetings with other enthusiasts and professionals, etc.

The culmination of the work of the Coffee & Tea Market Research Institute is the publication of the “Coffee & Tea Marketing Journal”, a scientific journal that helps to attract even more people to our activities.

Thank you for the interview.

DARIUSZ CHROST