The Chinese love pork. Danish pork.

In South Korea, posters advertisingpork from Danish Crown adorn the walls of restaurants. At the butcher'sin Milan, dried hams from Denmark hang from the ceiling. In Rome, spaghetti carbonara is made with Tulip's diced bacon. In the USA, they eat Danish baby back ribs for supper and fill their sandwicheswith cold cuts from Plumrose. In the UK, Danish back bacon is often
served for breakfast.

 All over the world, you come across meat from Danish Crown, the world's largest exporter of pork, and the group's foreign companies are where the real value is being created today.

Danish farmers produce the best bulk pigs in the world,says Kjeld Johannesen, CEO of Danish Crown. And judging from China, signs are that he might be right.

In fact, Danish Crown's pork products are regarded as the very best in the market.

The reason is quality, quality and quality.

Many people confuse bulk with poor quality, but in reality bulk is defined as
large volumes of a product of a uniform quality - and that is Danish Crown's core competence in the world market.

- Only slaughterhouses approved by the Chinese authorities can export their
pork to China, and in this respect all Danish Crown's Danish facilities enjoy a
unique status. Unlike most other exporters in the world,we have been approved
for direct exports to China, explains Søren Tinggaard, Deputy Chief Executive of
Danish Crown.

Unique access

This means that Danish Crown is one of a very small number of companies worldwide with direct market access to China. The explanation is simple: meat of
a uniform and high quality and world-class food safety standards.
- We have an extremely good reputation in China, which is our fastest-growing
market. At the moment, we are shipping 150 containers with Danish pork products
to China each week, Søren Tinggaard explains.

Fragile reputation.A good reputation in the Chinese market is valuable.Unique access.This means that Danish Crown is one of a very small number of companies worldwide with direct marketaccess to China. The explanation is simple: meat of
a uniform and high quality and world-class food safety standards.

- We have an extremely good reputation in China, which is our fastest-growing
market.At the moment, we are shipping 150 containers with Danish pork products
to China each week, Søren Tinggaard explains.

Fragile reputation

A good reputation in the Chinese market is valuable. So there is every reason to
ensure that we live up to our reputation each and every time we ship our
products to the various markets. According to Arnth Henriksen, Sales Manager in
China, it doesn't take much to ruin a reputation.

- Four or five years ago, one of our slaughterhouses supplied some rear trotters
which for some reason were discoloured.
- And even though we took immediate action to rectify the error, the Chinese are
still reminiscing about the episode and referring to the slaughterhouse as the one
with the discoloured trotters, says Arnth Henriksen.

Impressed with slaughterhouse workers
However, this has not detracted from our good reputation
- in fact, rumour has it that Danish Crown's packaging is being copied by
other companies in China in the hope that they will then be able to charge
Danish Crown prices.

- This is the sort of thing which provokes a smile, and we hear about episodes like
this quite frequently, says Arnth Henriksen from China.
The Chinese not only love Danish Crown's products; they are also thrilled with
our collaboration. According to Arnth Henriksen, there is one thing which always
impresses Chinese visitors to the Danish slaughterhouses:

- The slaughterhouse workers!

- Chinese people visiting the Danish slaughterhouses are always impressed with the workers' friendly and genuinely interested manner. So much so that it is something which they always talk about once they are back on board their coach. This is something which we can rightly be proud of, says ArnthHenriksen.

In the 1930s, Denmark shipped big barrels packed with butter and bacon to the UK. Back then, the market for bacon was insatiable. Today, Danish Crown is seeing a repeat of the story in the Chinese market.
- The Chinese are crazy about pork. And when such a heavily populated country suddenly starts wanting a particular product, we have a unique situation, the likes of which we haven't seen since the dramatic increase in our bacon sales to the UK in the 1930s and to Japan in the mid-1970s, says Søren Tinggaard, Deputy Chief Executive of Danish Crown.

The demand for pork in China is now so great that the situation for Danish Crown is reminiscent of bacon sales to the UK in the 1930s. In recent years, Søren Tinggaard has been watching developments in China closely, and in his opinion the market is limitless at the moment. For example, if Danish Crown had two million more pig's heads, the company would easily be able to sell this volume too. - Initially, Danish consumers will not feel the price increases as the Chinese are usually after different parts of the pig compared to those sold in Denmark. However, the greater purchasing power of Chinese consumers means they will, to an increasing extent, start demanding the same meat cuts as Europeans, which will eventually push up prices in Europe. A situation we may well soon be facing, says Søren Tinggaard.

DKK 0.15 more for the farmer

For Danish farmers, China means markedly higher earnings.
Simply by selling pig's heads to China instead of Europe, pig producers can be paid an average of DKK 0.15 more per kilogram of meat supplied. This is further supplemented by trotters, spareribs, lungs and other parts of the pig which the Chinese are willing to pay more for.

The Chinese middle classes, which count 300-400 millionpeople, are growing, and when the economic climate changes, so do consumer habits.

The Chinese consumers' growing demand for pork has resulted in average price increases of 30-40pc and, since the summer, this has influenced the rate of inflation.

- Unlike the situation in Denmark, the Chinese spend a very large proportion of household income on food, including pork, and so the Pork influencing inflation in China Inc rease in Chine se de mand for pork pushe s up price s. price increases have a bearing on whether families are able to buy other consumables. In fact, the increases in pork prices are so steep that they are deemed to constitute a significant factor behind the increasing inflation rate in China. Pork is thus directly responsible for inflation in China, explains Søren Tinggaard, Deputy Chief Executive of Danish Crown.

Unique combination

Today, Danish Crown is selling pig's heads to China at double the price they would fetch in Europe. Since January alone, prices in China have risen by a further 100pc or more. 

- The Chinese are crazy about pork. And when such a heavilypopulated country suddenly starts wanting a particular product, we have a unique situation, the likes of which we haven't seen since the dramatic increase in our bacon sales to the UK in the 1930s, says Søren Tinggaard.

According to him, China will be Danish Crown's second-largest market next year after the UK.

This spring, the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, paid an official visit to Denmark, which involved a string of meetings with Danish politicians, officials and businessmen.

Danish Crown's CEO, Kjeld Johannesen, had two opportunities to meet with the Russian premier.

First at the official banquetat Christiansborg, seat of the Danish parliament, and later that same evening Kjeld Johannesen was one of eleven Danish CEOs who were invited to a meeting in the Russian-Danish Business Forum, where the Danish senior executives had a chance to discuss trade between the two countries with the Russian delegation.

Kjeld Johannesen was the sole representative of the Danish food sector, and was delighted at being able to talk closely with Prime Minister Putin about one of Danish Crown's key markets.

Every week, Danish Crown ships 80 containers with the company's products to Russia. This means that Danish Crown alone accounts for more than 20pc of Danish exports to the country.

- Exporting large volumes of pork and beef to Russia is nothing new, but at the moment we are also finding that Russia offers new business opportunities, says Kjeld Johannesen.

Danish know-how in high demand

After trading together for more than 20 years, Danish Crown has achieved a mutual cultural understanding with the company's Russian business partners.

- This means that we are now seeing a growing demand for Danish know-how, both within slaughterhouse operations, food safety and production in general, where Danish expertise is much sought-after, says Kjeld Johannesen.

- In collaboration with our Russian partners, we have already made contributions in several areas, and we believe that Danish Crown has every chance of becoming an important strategic business partner throughout the farmto- table value chain, says Kjeld Johannesen.

In 2010, Danish Crown exported 8,000 tonnes of pork to South Korea. This year, the company's representative in the country, Lee Chun-Lim, estimates that this figure will triple to approx. 23,000 tonnes.

The dramatic increase is attributable to several factors, according to Lee Chun-Lim, who is otherwise known as 'Gus' to his western business associates. The primary factor was the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea last year. The government reacted with a massive cull of pig herds, and then opened up for imports by setting up a tariff free import quota. Danish Crown was quick off the mark.

- The Danish market is extremely well geared to delivering large volumes at short notice, explains the export representative, who primarily sells intestines and shoulders to his wholesale customers.

In Lee Chun-Lim's opinion, the tariff-free quota will soon be extended as it is taking longer than expected for the South Korean pig production to return to pre-disease levels. Among other things, there is considerable local resistance to re-establishing the large pig farms. They were unpopular before the outbreak, but the burying of the slaughtered herds caused widespread odour problems and water pollution, which has made neighbours angry.

A free trade agreement which has been signed between South Korea and the EU also ensures that tariffs are being reduced by 5pc a year, and that the tariff will be non-existent in five years. This will strengthen the competitiveness of Danish exporters in the local market.

In addition, the traditional fondness for extremely fat meat in South Korea is changing. Hand in hand with the growing focus on a healthy lifestyle, it also makes sense to eat less fatty foods, and here lean meat from Danish Crown is an obvious choice.

- In the 1990s, our pig production was tailored to cater for our exports to Japan, and the Japanese wanted meat which was as fat as possible. The live weight of pigs for slaughter shot up from 90-95 kg to 110-115 kg. In Denmark, the pigs weigh the same, but your advanced production techniques mean that the meat is still very lean, explains Lee Chun-Lim.

An emerging brand

Finally, the South Koreans are slowly becoming aware of Danish meat as a brand. For a long time, they held the view that Danes are good at producing dairy products - the product name 'Denmark Milk', a relic from the former partnership between Arla and a South Korean dairy, is, for example, incredibly strong - and the same thing is now happening for pork. South Korea's most-watched TV station, for example, recently visited Danish Crown in Denmark, which resulted in a very positive story about high quality and efficient production methods.

The programme was seen by the CEO of one of the biggest South Korean supermarket chains, E-mart, who immediately asked if he could pay a visit too. That happened in October.

- If this chain starts stocking Danish Crown, it will really have a major impact on exports, said the delighted country rep, who is counting on using the dairy brand as a springboard to further growth.

- All things considered, I expect imports from Denmark to increase steeply over the next ten years, declares Lee Chun-Lim.

A poster explains the packaging revolution. The first generation was the ham on
its own, without any packaging. The second generation was the ham in a steel tin. The third generation was the aluminium tin. And the fourth and most recent generation is plastic packaging. Not only is it easier to open - and re-close again - it is also much safer because there is no risk of cutting yourself.

To highlight the message, a stack of the new type of hams has been beautifully arranged next to the poster, while an efficient lady is urging shoppers to taste samples. 

The scene is taken from one of South Korea's many Lottemart supermarkets, and what we are witnessing is the roll-out of a large-scale campaign launched in mid- September by Tulip and the food company Nong Shim, meaning 'the farmer's heart' in Korean, which has beenTulip's national collaboration partner since 1994.

And the newly developed plastic packaging is a major reason for the expansion of our collaboration, explains Henning Faber, Tulip's Export Manager, a couple of hours later over lunch in the heart of South Korea's pulsating capital, Seoul:

- Our partner has a very strong desire to work with Tulip - both on account of the new plastic packaging and because the new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and South Korea will lead to a gradual reduction in tariffs over the next five years. This is very exciting news.

On its part, Tulip sees considerable potential in Nong Shim, which is a top player within foods, not only in South Korea, but worldwide.Nong Shim is, for example, the world's biggest producer of noodles, and holds the South Korean import licencesfor American Kellogg's, Italian Barilla and the largest Japanese food company. All extremely successful brands.

- They have the infrastructure and the contacts - and we hopefully have the right product, as Henning Faber puts it.

Exciting future

Jung-Soo Kim, Managing Director of Nong Shim, believes so. Over lunch, he adds that the Tulip partnership will hopefully be as successful as the company's other import agreements.

He confirms that the two companies supplement each other well, adding that the partnership holds out interesting long-term potentialover and above packaged ham:

- We want to increase awareness of the Tulip brand in South Korea. And once that has been achieved, we can hopefully develop the productportfolio. The next step will be processed meat products as frozen foods.

Tulip has actually been present in the South Korean tinned food market for severalyears, but only as a supplier to industry. Now they are moving in to the retail market, which has seen strong growth in recent years. 

Initially, a campaign targeting supermarkets will run for two to three months, ensuring prominent product placements and tastings of the two ham variants 'Classic' and 'Mild'. If these initiatives have a satisfactory impact on sales, the next step will be television commercials.

- This is the most effective way, the export manager explains, elaborating:

- With a new product and a new type of packaging, you have to work hard to catch the attention of consumers.

However, his partner Jung- Soo Kim is confident.

- South Korean consumers like tinned products. Plastic is better and safer. This is the message which we have to get across, he says.

- And that is what the tastings and commercials will do, adds Henning Faber.

Sokołów Fitness' is printed on the cups which the employees at the company's two distribution centres in Warsaw drink their tea out of as they take a short break during what is otherwise a long working day.

- The cups were produced in connection with the launch of a new low-fat ham, designed specifically for consumers who like to stay slim, says Miroslaw Lasocki, manager of the distribution centre in Warsaw, with a smile.

It is from here that the Sokołów shop owners in the capital receive a lot of their products, in fact everything from fitness hams to dog food, which Miroslaw Lasocki shows off to illustrate the fact that in Poland nothing goes to waste once the pig has been slaughtered.

A strong brand Sokołów is one of the stron gest brands in Poland, and by ha ving it s own shops throughout the country, Sokołów ensures that it s products
are always presented in the best possible way.

Celebrity status for Sokołów

Sokołów's products and the brand itself are extremely popular. It is unquestionably the most well-known meat brand in Poland, and the no. 2 brand for food products generally.

This is a position which the company's partners like to make the most of, which is evident when visiting a store owned by the UK-based supermarket chain Tesco in a suburb of the Polish capital.

Here, all of Sokołów's products are gathered at the company's own shop-in-shop, where the two employees are busy serving customers.

Everywhere

 - The shop is staffed by our own employees. We have simply leased a small section of the store to set up our own Sokołów shop. It is good for us, because lots of people come to Tesco to do their shopping, and it is good for Tesco, because the strong Sokołów brand attracts even more customers who also buy other products at the store, explains Miroslaw Lasocki.

The same story is repeated in many towns across Poland. Everywhere, stores are pleased to be working with Sokołów, such as the small butcher's shop in another suburb about half an hour's drive away.

The Sokołów name is displayed on the façade and on the door, even though the butcher actually buys his products from MAKTON, a wholesale distributor owned by one of Sokołów's competitors which nevertheless distributes many of Sokołów's products to its customers. It is simply unthinkable for a Polish butcher not to be selling this popular brand.

- Most of our products are produced by Sokołów. It is the brand which customers want, so of course we stock it, the woman behind the counter quickly explains before turning to the next customer in the queue.

Excelent promotion

 And the small shops play an important role in Sokołów's strategy, even though many of them also sell competing products.

- With 700 shops displayingthe Sokołów name on their façades, we ensure that consumers are always reminded about our products, while the shops wanting to use our name obviously have to agree to selling a certain percentage, says Miroslaw Lasocki.

And they do. Whether you are looking at the 100 shops owned by sokołów which sell only sokołów products or at the privately owned shops which are also selling competing polish meat products, the sokołów shops are part and parcel of polish culture. Because consumers are happy to go out of their way to buy a fitness ham of the highest quality.

After a record year last year, Sokołów is again presenting an impressive set of results. This is attributable not least to the company's commitment to its own shops, which have helped stabilise earnings in a year characterised by sky-rocketing commodity prices.

- Increasing commodity prices have, of course, meant that our costs have gone up massively and, as in all other markets, our Polish customers have done a lot to delay the price increases as much as possible. This has reduced our earnings from the big supermarket chains considerably. In our own shops, on the other hand, we have been able to put up prices immediately, thereby protecting our earnings, says Sokołów director Jerzy Majchrzak.

He is therefore convinced that the company's strategy of having its own network of shops is the right one.

- It is actually quite straightforward. The earnings in our own shops are higher than earnings in any other area of activity, and they are growing, explains Jerzy Majchrzak.

In addition, expanding the network of shops in collaboration with strong partners is another element in Sokołów's strategy.

- As in other countries, the trend is that consumers are doing more shopping at the big supermarkets. However, many Polish people also still go to their local butcher. This is especially true in difficult times because you can buy the exact quantity you need from the butcher rather than having to buy pre-packed meat products, says Jerzy Majchrzak.

This is also why about half of Sokołów's outlets are now supermarket shop-in-shops, for example with the German supermarket chain Kaufland and the British Tesco.

- It is a good solution, which increases our earnings because we control the prices and the products on offer. This has greatly benefited the accounts in recent years, and there is no doubt that the solution will remain part of Sokołów's strategy in future, says Jerzy Majchrzak

The then Minister for Foreign Affairs Lene Espersen was keynote speaker when about 200 Danish business leadersmet on 8 October 2010 at Tulip for the Danish Export Day.

The purpose of the day was to hear inspiration from other export businesses, while a number of export consultants were present to offer advice on how Danish companies can enter new markets.

The speakers included the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lene Espersen, who, among other things, recalled how, on her own honeymoon, she was confronted with Danish exports.

- In Papua New Guinea, a pig is a very important status symbol, and pigs are often treated better than people. Therefore our guide refused to believe that Denmark has 25 million pigs and large pork exports before we found a shop selling a large selection of tinned Tulip products labelled 'Made in Denmark', said Lene Espersen with a smile.

She also used her speech to emphasise the importance of good trading conditions for Danish export companies and their significance for the Danish economy.

In the media, Africa is often associated with stories of hunger, hardship and civil war. However, this is far from the whole truth.

Africa is also a place full of business opportunities, and the African peoples are just as different as Finns and Italians.

- The cultural differences are vast. In some countries, trading is conducted in much the same way as in Europe, whereas in other placesyou really have to watch out and always be accompanied by professionals, explains Kim Tofteskov Skovmøller, a Tulip Export Manager.

He has been trading with African countries for eleven years, and in August he returned with yet another new trading partner. This time in Liberia, making it the fourteenth African nation where the population can now find Tulip products in the shops

. - African consumers really like our products for their uniform quality and high food safety standards. At the same time, our products offer huge benefits in a country where many shops are tents, where the outside temperatures reach 40 degrees and where there is no chance of anything being refrigerated. In that context, it is important that production is strictly controlled, which Tulip's production is, explains Kim Tofteskov Skovmøller.

An experience.

At the same time, Tulip's products are also associated with special occasions because meat is expensive relative to the average income of many African families.

- Perhaps they eat meat once a week, or more likely once a month, and so of course they want to be sure of a good experience, which is what we can guarantee, says Kim Tofteskov Skovmøller.

The hurricane season in Puerto Rico spurred a massive demand for Tulip's luncheon meat, with all the distributors selling out of Tulip Jamonilla Classic, the most popular Tulip variant.

Each year from June until November, hurricanes rip through the Caribbean and, true to form, the Puerto Ricans fill their kitchen cupboards and cellars with tinned food, in preparation for the worst.

In particular, they like to stock up on Tulip products, and this year demand has been so strong that warehouses in Puerto Rico effectively ran out of the most popular variety. The first week of August saw sales of 10,000 cartons (81.6 tonnes), double the normallevel for this period. Fortunately, people were still able to buy the popular variant from the shops even though the warehouses were bare, while Tulip's other variants were also still in stock.

In autumn 2010, the people of Okinawa for the first time encountered the new plastic packaging from Tulip which had just been launched.

And the encounter went well, reports Asuka Ganeko and Masaru Itokazu, who man the Tulip office on Okinawa.

- Among other things, Tulip attended the Naha festival to hand out free samples. Here, the new Tulip product attractedso much attention that about 1,000 samples were distributed in the first hour, Asuka Ganeko recalls.

Tulip's employees on Okinawa therefore had a busy time with the launch, organising tastings, a press conference etc., all to convince the islanders that, despite the new packaging, the luncheon meat which they are used to buying, and which is extremely popular in the island, still tastes just the same.

- It may seem strange doing tastings of a product which we have been selling for decades, but Okinawa is a very conservative market, and it is therefore important to show that it is only the packaging that is new, while taste and quality are the same, says Brand Manager Allan Grøn Sørensen

After several years of unsatisfactory results, Tulip France posted solid earnings
in 2010. A strong focus on food service, among other things, meant that sales of
a number of new products took off.

- The past few years havebeen difficult, but this year is looking good, especially within food service, where we have built a sound business, says Marc Boulet, Country Manager for France.

When it comes to retailing, sales of tinned products have been particularly strong.

- The financial crisis has led to a demand for cheaper food, and our sales of tinned products are up 7pc. We are, of course, hoping to see sales of tinned products rise further, while we are also launching frozen meatballs for the retail trade, for which I have high hopes, says Marc Boulet.

The French have taken a liking to Danish meatballs, which were first introduced at hospitals in Paris.

It is hard to think of anything more north European than a meatball. Thus, Denmark and Germany have been the only two countries in the world where you could pick up a decent Danish meatball.

That is no longer the case. In record time, the traditional Danish dish has become extremely popular in France where schools and hospitals in particular are serving lots of Danish meatballs every day.

- Five years ago, nobody in France had heard of the product. However, we found out that a hospital in northern France was buying meatballs directly from Tulip in Denmark, and we therefore started looking into the possibility of selling them elsewhere, explains Marc Boulet, Tulip Country Manager for France.

Today, Tulip sells more than 200 tonnes of meatballs in France each year, sales which will hopefully grow substantiallythis year following Tulip's launch of meatballs in the French shops.

Tulip products are an important ingredient in the traditional Christmas hampers in the Philippines.

As Christmas approaches in the Philippines, sales escalate of Tulip's DAK brand products, which are a must in the many Christmas hampers that the Filipinos give to their families, friends and business associates.

Sales in Panama broke all records in 2010, and spirits were therefore high when Sales Director René M. Olsen and Export Manager Kim Tofteskov Skovmøller visited the country.

- All in all, sales are up 26pc, which is a new record for Panama. We have maintained our market share in the traditional socalled mom-and-pop stores, while at the same time gaining 9pc of market share from our US competitors in relation to
supermarket sales. This has taken our total market share from 66 to 75pc, says Kim Tofteskov Skovmøller.

Few people in Papua New Guinea fail to recognise the Tulip logo when they spot it in shops or elsewhere. For 25 years, Tulip has been a well-known and popular brand on the small jungle-clad islands north of Australia, and in 2011 Tulip's products have attracted a particularly high level of interest.

- The islanders are very dependent on tinned foods such as tinned fish, corned beef and Tulip's popular pork products. In 2011 alone, our sales are up 50pc so far, explains Henning Faber, Tulip's Export Manager.

Tulip wants to increase fast-food sales in Russia. As part of this plan, Pia Machon Harring from TFC Fast Food has been to Russia to talk about the concept to filling station owners.

The purpose was to inspire staff on how to lift sales of Tulip products at filling stations already selling Tulip Fast Food.

In December, a new agreement with the Swedish retail chain Axfood led to an
expansion of Sweden's most modern retail packaging facility,Danish Crown K-Pack
in Jönköping, which opened last year.

- Ever since the opening, the facility has supplied Axfood exclusively. This has gone extremely well, and Danish Crown and Axfood have therefore decided to intensify their collaboration, explained Sales Manager Claus Hein from Danish Crown Nordic.

At the moment, the department handles more than 260 orders from individual shops as opposed to a daily order intake of five large orders previously.

This has called for optimised product handling, and a brand new high storage rack warehouse has therefore been built, which was completed in summer 2011.

When Norwegians cross the Swedish border to shop, it is often meat they are
after. Norwegian consumers often bring home large quantities of meat from the
Swedish border towns, because there is a lot of money to be saved by stocking up on cross-border meat products.

There are also considerable sales of Danish meat in the Swedish border towns of Svinesund, Egernsund and Nordby. Shortly before Easter, Danish Crown in Hadsund introduced ten new border trade products in these three towns, and sales are spectacular.

- We are really straining to keep up with demand at the moment as Norwegian consumers have taken a keen liking to our new products, said Factory Manager Jørn Sølvsten from Danish Crown in Hadsund.

Each Norwegian crossing the border is allowed to take home 11 kg of meat, and meat products represent more than 50pc of sales in the huge supermarkets near the border.

Tulip Food Company also benefits from the cross-border trade between Norway and Sweden.

- The campaign has focused strongly on Tulip's products, and we have sold lots of bacon, sausages, hamburgers, beefburgers and liver pâté, says Frank Christensen, head of Tulip in Sweden.

Vacuum-packed Danish spare-ribs adorned the bar, there was Danish pork on the menu, and the sound of Danish voices filled the air in front of a huge wall decoration with photos from the world's most modern slaughterhouse in Horsens. The elegant restaurant Grand Café in Morristown, New Jersey, close to Danish Crown's US headquarters, was for a brief period transformed into a little piece of Denmark when HRH The Prince Consort dropped by for a festive lunch event.Having spearheaded Danish pork exports for more than 25 years, Stig Kjærø can take much of the credit for Denmark's growing exports to the USA, even though Americans produce large volumes of pork themselves and in spite of the financial crisis. Americans consume 75,000 Danish spare-ribs daily, and every year 1,500 containers are shipped to the USA, packed with Danish pork. Sales via Danish Crown Inc. have grown significantly in recent years, with revenue this year expected to total approx. DKK 600 million.

HRH The Prince Consort recognised this achievement in conjunction with the royalvisit to America by bestowing His Royal Highness Prince Henrik's Medal of Honour on Stig Kjærø and personally presenting him and Danish Crown with the Diploma of the Danish Export Association. In his speech, the Prince Consort praised both Danish Crown and Stig Kjærø for strongly representing "the best Danish export traditions", and for their "ability to make Danish Crown's products a sellable brand on the American market".

- There is considerable respect in the American industry for Danish Crown's international
sales and investments, and we know Stig Kjærø for his competent and hard work for Danish Crown's US subsidiary over many years. He is a worthy representative of Danish business interests in the USA, said government adviser Steen Steensen from the Danish Embassy in Washington, which nominated Stig Kjærø.

Proud traditions

HRH Prince Henrik's Medal of Honour has been awarded since 1982, and has previouslybeen conferred on e.g. LEGO, B&O, Novo Nordisk, Maersk and Grundfos in countries as diverse as Sweden, Papua New Guinea, China and the United Arab Emirates. The award consists of a medal, a diploma and the right to use the royal logo and name.

- I will use it as much as possible in marketing contexts. It is something people notice, also as Danish Crown is a Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court, says Stig Kjærø.

And after the luncheon at the Grand Café, Danish Crown can, according to Stig Kjærø, also count on supplying more pork to the royal court. Initially, the Prince Consort was slightly sceptical about his plate with four baby back ribs, which were smothered in American barbecue sauce. But once he had tasted them, he soon finished the lot - and continued to refill his plate with spare-ribs, which were primarily on display to show how Danish ribs are usuallyserved in American restaurants.

- He really enjoyed it, and I've promised him that we'll certainly send a recipe for American baby back ribs to the palace. He asked for one himself, said a proud Stig Kjærø.

And here it is … See overleaf …

For a year from January 2011, Randers will be raising money for children in the Karamoja province in northeastern Uganda. Randers is UNICEF City 2011 and, as they are domiciled in Randers, both Danish Crown and Tulip are, of course, supporting this worthy cause.

- As a major workplace in Randers, it is natural for us to play our part when citizens and businesses come together to make the world a better place, says Rune Jungberg Pedersen, Tulip's Communication Manager and newly appointed UNICEF ambassador.

Danish Crown and Tulip will be supporting the initiative in a number of ways, and were already out in force at the official launch of the project by Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg.

An international company such as Danish Crown is always moving forwards. Standing still is tantamount to moving backwards, and every three years the group strategy is
revised in detail to ensure a common direction. Today, the foreign companies are generating the most value, in particular the processingcompanies even during the past challenging year.

According to the sign above the door, The Crown, an inn in the village of Stoke by
Nayland about an hour's drive from London, dates as far back as 1530.

And this is where we meet Steve Murrells, CEO of Tulip Ltd, to hear about his first two years at the head of the table and about his visions for the company.

- I grew up in this area, and my parents still live here. So, I come here quite often, and probably eat at The Crown a couple of times a month, explains Steve Murrells, as he makes himself comfortable at the back of the restaurant where the score from a famous cricket match between England and India adorns the wall.

It is charming, it is English, and it is the landscape and the spirit which have shaped Steve Murrells.

- My management style is very personal. When I meet someone who has a good idea, I am happy to take it and make it a bit more Steve Murrells'ish. I would say that 50pc of my management style stems from my upbringing in this area, while 50pc can be attributed to my studies and the ideas I have picked up from people I've met in the course of my career, says Steve Murrells.

Desire to make a difference

And Steve Murrells has met many interesting people after ten years with Sainsbury's followed by senior positions with Tesco before becoming CEO of the OneStop retail convenience chain, which was what indirectly brought him to Tulip.

- It was there that I discovered the pleasure of really making a difference. As CEO you are able to make your mark and shape developments, so I didn't think twice about accepting the job as CEO of Tulip, says Steve Murrells.

At the same time, he stresses that he had the best possible start with Tulip

- Danish Crown is undoubtedly one of the best slaughtering and production companies
worldwide. But at the same time, Danish Crown realised they could benefit from learning more about their customers, and it was therefore a very strong and bold move by CEO Kjeld Johannesen and the Chairman of the Board of Directors Niels Mikkelsen when they decided to take on a CEO who came from the retail trade, and who was therefore used to seeing things from the customers' perspective. It was also perfect for me to have a year in the background while Carsten Jakobsen was still there. It gave me the chance to talk to a lot of people and prepare thoroughly before taking over the reins, says Steve Murrells.

A lot at stake

At the same time, he stresses the importance of having taken over a company which has performed consistently well.

- In a way, it was harder because there is so much more at stake. I don't think anybody would welcome the prospect of taking over as Manchester United manager. Taking over a winning team is always difficult, says Steve Murrells.

Nevertheless, that is what he did, and he hasn't failed. So Steve Murrells is very happyto be interviewed for the annual report. But he realises that, at the end of the day, there is only one thing which counts.

- I am measured on the results which I deliver. And there are a lot of things I want to do at Tulip Ltd, says Steve Murrells.

A recent initiative is reviving the extremely popular Danepak brand, which in future will centre around breakfast products

Friday after Friday, many Danish viewers excitedly watch the Dancing with the
Stars contest on Danish TV, where well-known Danes are paired with professional
ballroom dancers who are then rated by a panel of critical judges.

This is also what it is like in the business world - managers must identify the steps which will lead to success and increased earnings. However, Steve Murrells, CEO of Tulip Ltd, points out that it does not have to be that complicated.

- Good management is often about simplicity. Everyone recognises that it takes longer to write a simple and easyto- understand letter than writing a long and complex one, smiles Steve Murrells.

He has therefore choreographed five simple steps to success in the UK.

-It is important that everybody understands what it is about. Thus, I have identified
five areas where we must succeed. If we can do that, then the business will also
flourish, says Steve Murrells.

The five 'steps' are our customers, our employees, our economy, our production and our social responsibility.

- It goes without saying that we must be able to supply what customers want. Therefore, we are now devoting more time to our customers, and developing products in collaboration with them. This ensures that the products are in line with customer requirements. It also means that we are able to enter into contracts for longer terms of, for example, two or three years, which is a huge boon in the current crisis, explains Steve Murrells.

Dead men's shoes

He is also focusing on employee development

- Employees must feel that they can make a career for themselves at Tulip. We need to have exciting jobs for talented employees so they don't have to hang around for years waiting to fill a dead man's shoes. If that happens, we lose the crème de la crème. At the same time, we have started employing more rotation candidates, which enables us to attract some of the most talented young people at an early stage of their careers. They represent the next generation, says Steve Murrells.

Steve Murrells is also focusing on creating a shared language for all company employees to facilitate communication between the 8,000 Tulip Ltd employees, all of whom have very different working days.

- It is, of course, a question of building the right organisation which can support a profitable business, and of ensuring that we can produce high-quality products better and more cheaply than our competitors, underlines Steve Murrells.

Since joining Tulip Ltd, Steve Murrells has introduced major changes in production.

- I have strengthened the technical and quality assurance departments noticeably. When I came on board, we had very considerable problems when customers were visiting, and consumers had too many negative experiences with our products. These are the areas where I have tried to implement changes, and we have come a long way, says Steve Murrells.

Good signal

Finally, he stresses that it is particularly important for a foreign company to conduct itself in a socially responsible way in the local community.

- We have set a number of ambitious targets about reducing the environmentalimpact of our activities, and this has been a very successful step, both as a way of enhancing our image, butalso because we can save a lot of money by reducing our consumption. At the same time, we are making a point of playing a role in the localcommunity. This year we have, for example, collectedapprox. 100,000 pounds which will go towards helping poor children, explains Steve Murrells.

In addition to boosting earnings,he is hoping that the five steps will contribute to improving Tulip's image.

- Killing animals is not a particularly cool thing to be doing. Cooking wonderful food is far more sexy, so the idea is to evolve from being a meat producer to being a business focusing on food. Right now we are experiencing some of the most turbulent times within living memory, and here focusing on food - both internally and externally - will help carry us through, says Steve Murrells.

However, he feels certain that some of the challenges in the past few years have helped to build up a level of stamina which will prove valuable in future.

The agricultural sector is wellrepresented at the top of Danish business, with agricultural executives being ranked nos. 11, 30, 39 and 96 in the list of the top 100 executives. Coming top is Danish Crown's CEO, Kjeld Johannesen.

This was the subject of an article in the farmers' newspaper 'Landbrugsavisen', based on a book published by L&R Business.

The title of the book is '100 top bosses - a guide to Danish business', written (in Danish) by Niels Lunde, business commentator on the Danish newspaper Politiken and former editor-in-chief of Berlingske Tidende.

Kjeld no. 11

Niels Lunde ranks the leaders of agricultural businesses and industrial organisations highly on the list of the most influential senior executives in Denmark.

In 11th place, Kjeld Johannesen from Danish Crown scores highest among senior agricultural executives.

He is followed by Arla Foods' CEO Peder Tuborgh, who comes in at no. 30, while Asbjørn Børsting from DLG is no. 39. The Danish Agriculture & Food Council is represented on the list by Carl Aage Dahl, who is no. 96.

Last spring Danish Crown launched a mobile site with selected content from the Danish Crown website.

The mobile site is optimised for smartphones, and so far presents news from Danish Crown and more than 1,000 pork and beef recipes. More mobile content from the website will be added gradually.

It is also possible to access the Danish Crown website directly from the mobile site for those wanting more information about Danish Crown.

Find gourmet restaurants

Moreover, 'Stjerneruten' - or the 'Star Route' - has also been launched as a mobile site. 'Stjerneruten' is a string of Danish gourmet restaurants that receive special meat cuts from Danish Crown's 'Gold Room'.

On the site, you can read more about the restaurants, watch a video about DC quality and find inspiration for a delicious meal.

For each restaurant, a link is provided to a route planner stating your location and the restaurant's address so you can easily find your way to your chosen restaurant

Almost 4,000 Danish Crown and Tulip employees took part in a fund-raising campaign to help victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Contributions have flooded in from both Danish and foreign departments, with a total of DKK 214,443 being donated by employees. Danish Crown's long-standing trading relations with Japan have brought home the seriousness of the situation, and the collection impressed CEO Kjeld Johannesen, who is a Japanese consul. Danish Crown decided to double up the amount which had been collected to DKK 500,000, which was given to the Danish Red Cross.

In May, Daka's Board of Directors approved the signing of a provisional agreement with the German bio-product company SARIA on establishing a joint enterprise based on Daka's activities. It is proposed that SARIA should hold 51pc of the share capital in the joint company. The transaction is expected to take place in early 2012.

Products have to taste good, but it must also be possible to take an extra slice. This was the philosophy behind Tulip Foodservice's exhibition at the food fair in Bella Center in Copenhagen where focus was on the company's wide range of healthy 'Keyhole' products in particular.

- We are introducing a wide range of new and exciting products which all carry the official Nordic 'Keyhole' label, which makes it easier for consumers to choose healthy products. It is obviously important to show customers that we give a high priority to both taste and fat content, said Tulip's Product Manager, Eva Levinsen Højfeldt.

In February Danish Crown decided to join the United Nations' Global Compact initiative, which comprises a large number of guidelines within the areas of human rights, labour, freedom of association and environment.

- Danish Crown is an international business with divisions and undertakings worldwide. This means that both cultural and legislative differences are part of our daily lives, but also that we are able to draw on experiences from many different countries. Joining UN Global Compact is our way of ensuring that we are working from the same platform, says Danish Crown's CFO, Preben Sunke.

UN Global Compact should be perceived as a common denominator, and national legislation or traditions in some countries currently lead to deviations from the joint guidelines. In these countries, the UN Global Compact initiativeprovides a good starting point for further developing Danish Crown's CSR profile.

- It goes without saying that pay levels, union membership take-up, environmental standards and social responsibility vary from one country to the next. Denmark has come a long way in some areas, whereas in others we can certainly learn from other countries. Knowing about the situation in various countries is clearly an advantage, says Preben Sunke.

In connection with its annual report for 2009/10, Danish Crown presented a CSR policy for the group, which will both guide and lift the group's CSR activities in the coming years

301,730 cattle, or more than 78 million kg of meat - that is how much DC Beef has slaughtered in Denmark this year.

This is a record, and 8.3pc more than last year. - We are very happy with the increase in the number of slaughterings, and it shows we are doing a good job. We are tailoring production to deliveries from farmers, and striving daily to offer the best possible service and competitive prices - and this is the result, says Division Director of DC Beef, Lorenz Hansen.

The large influx of animals is attributable to the registration of 300 new owners, taking the total number of owners to 6,000. Thus, DC Beef's share of slaughterings in Denmark is now 62.7pc.

Bonus scheme attracts more suppliers

Many of the new owners have contacted Danish Crown on their own initiative, while more than 150 have joined via DC Beef's scheme for bonus suppliers.

- As a bonus supplier, you can try out Danish Crown for six months without committing yourself to anything, and the contract can be cancelled from one day to the next. This has given owners the opportunity to try us without being locked into a fixed-term contract. It has proved a tremendous success, says Ejvind Kviesgaard, Head of Department at DC Owner Relations.

If Danish Crown's Board of Directors ultimately decides to build a new cattle slaughterhouse in Denmark, it will be in Vejen Municipality in southern Denmark.

- Many factors must be taken into account, and our analyses show that Vejen is the best solution for us, says Lorenz Hansen.

This will be an investment of more than DKK 500 million in Danish jobs, and during the process which kicked off back in March, Danish Crown has been wooed by many municipalities eager to secure the potential 300 jobs that the project entails. But plot and location are just two factors - the cost of deliveries, waste-water treatment and a long list of other aspects have to be carefully assessed.

- Danish Crown's provisional decision to build a moderncattle slaughterhouse in Vejen Municipality is a victory for the entire region. When a big company like Danish Crown chooses to build in Denmark's 'strategic intersection', it will have a positive knock-on effect in many places. It shows that our municipality is worth investing in and that we are also able to cater for really big companies, says Egon Fræhr, Mayor of Vejen.

Back in March, Danish Crown's Board of Directors decided to approve the preliminary planning of a new cattle slaughterhouse in Denmark.

- We currently enjoy a leading position in the beef market, and in light of developments in recent years, it is obviously a good idea to consider establishing an up-to-date and modern production facility. We have been able to follow developments in costs at the world's most advanced pig slaughterhouse, and there is every reason to draw on the group's experiences here, said Lorenz Hansen, Division Director of DC Beef.

Strong interest from municipalities

An important aspect of the preliminary work was to find a suitable site for a new slaughterhouse, and municipalities from all over Denmark expressed their interest in securing the jobs which would come with the possible establishment of a new cattle slaughterhouse.

- We have been overwhelmed by the strong interest shown by a large number of municipalities, said Lorenz Hansen in April.

- We are looking at a large number of possible sites, but a lot of in-depth analyses must be done before a final decision can be made, he said.

Danish Crown's Board of Directors is expected to make its final decision on whether Denmark will have a new cattle slaughterhouse in spring 2012. The ability to establish a competitive cost structure will be one of the deciding factors.

2010/11 has been a year where access to your own meat supplies has had a
big impact on the financial results of meat-processing companies around the world.

This is also true for the companies in the Danish Crown group, and it has therefore occupied Flemming N. Enevoldsen a lot. In additionto being CEO of Tulip Food Company, Flemming N. Enevoldsen is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tulip Ltd and Plumrose USA.

- The price increases have been a key theme, especially in Tulip Food Company and Plumrose, which do not have access to their own meat supplies. However, Tulip Ltd has also been influenced by the price increases, even though the effects have been mitigated to some extent by the fact that the company controls some of its suppliesthrough its own pig production and slaughterhouses, says Flemming N. Enevoldsen.

However, he stresses that it is far from just meat prices which have risen. The cost of packaging, transport, herbs and spices and other ingredients has likewise increased markedly. It impacts resultsbecause it takes longer to raise the prices paid by customers than it takes for suppliers to increase the prices they charge the processing companies.

- There is always a delay, because customers want to see the higher prices paid by us before they accept any price increases. It influencesresultsin the processing companies, and therefore it is satisfactory that our two biggest processing companies - Tulip Ltd and Tulip Food Company - are once again living up to the group's earnings target (EBIT). Plumrose's results are significantly impacted in a negative direction by a recent judgement from the Supreme Court in Denmark which concludes that a product recall in 2005 must not be paid for by the group's insurance company. However, all three companies have seen organic growth and satisfactory operations, says Flemming N. Enevoldsen. 

He expects the new financial year to also be challenging because of the large volumes of raw ingredients being shipped to China, South Korea and Russia, but he also expects the market to start getting used to the higher price levels by the second half.

It wasn't on the cards that Tulip would end FY 2010/11 with particularly impressive
results. The company has faced markedly increased costs, particularly from increases in commodity pricesand the price of packaging. One by one, competitors in the meat-processing industry have revised their outlook downwards in a year where the prices of ingredients for producing e.g. sausages, bacon and cold cuts have increased to unseen levels.

However, even though the challenges have been considerable, the company's owners are now looking at the second-best results in Tulip's history.

- There is no doubt that we have been through a year characterised by very difficult conditions which put considerable pressure on our organisation. Therefore I am also satisfied with the results, even though they are slightly lower than we expected when we drew up the budget in spring 2010, long before commodity prices started soaring, says CEO Flemming N.Enevoldsen.

At the same time, he emphasises that the challenges are far from over.

- Unfortunately, the economic crisis in the world market continues, and the level of uncertainty has risen significantly. Therefore, I also expect FY 2011/12 to be difficult, with a decline in earnings relative to the past few financial years, says Tulip's CEO.

Adjustment

Right now, Tulip is operating in a market where both shops and producers throughout Europe are struggling to adapt to the changing market conditions.

- Many of the increases in commodity prices are here to stay. This is because, among other things, demand for the commodities which Tulip uses in large volumes has increased massively, particularly in China, and therefore I do not expect prices to return to their normal level. Basically, we must accept a new price level, and this presents a challenge for all meat-processing companies which do not have their own slaughterhouse operations and therefore cannot use their own meat supplies. When a market as big as the Chinese market starts competing for commodities, it inevitably has a big impact on cost levelsin European enterprises, says Flemming N. Enevoldsen.

In many ways, the situation resembles the one experienced by Tulip in 2008, but the companyis far better geared to tackling these challengesnow than it was back then, Flemming N. Enevoldsen maintains.

Stronger foundation

- One of our goals has been organic growth, and that we've achieved. It clearly shows that Tulip's products still enjoy worldwide demand. At the same time, we have focused hard on streamlining the organisation, and Tulip is now far more efficient. But there is no doubt that we will beimplementing further rationalisations wherever possible, says Flemming N. Enevoldsen.

New opportunities

However, the focus on lower costs must be combined with looking at the opportunities offered by the current market conditions.

The company must be prepared to exploit the crisis by investing in the future, and there are already detailed plans on the CEO's table outlining a number of growth options.

- The best strategy is to invest in recessionary times if company finances permit, and if the company deserves the confidence of its owners. We must therefore make the most of the challenges facing every company in the business to strengthen Tulip's position. If we adopt the right strategy, it will - combined with Tulip's strong organisation and competent employees - put the company on a sound footing for the future, says Flemming N. Enevoldsen.

It certainly looks very romantic. Young tourists in Rome enjoying a tasty pasta dish in the heart of the Italian capital. And the quality is excellent. Especially if the dish is spaghetti carbonara, with delicious diced bacon as the culinary highlight.

In Rome, a lot of restaurateurs have got it just right and use bacon from Tulip in their kitchens. And this is a trend which Pietro Collivadino, General Manager of Tulip Italy, would like to see taking off in the rest of the country.

Today, food service accounts for only 5pc of revenue, butthere is a desire to see a marked increase in this figure. This will be achieved through a targeted campaign which will be launched jointly with the Italian chef Walter Pedrazzi, who has developed a number of recipes for Tulip.

- The purpose is to draw attention to the advantages of our product. Many professional kitchens buy whole bacon joints which they then slice themselves. It leads to considerable waste and also adds to payroll, investment and cleaning budgets, and so it actually makes more sense for them to buy ready-sliced products from Tulip, says Pietro Collivadino.

One campaign element is recipe folders featuring a chef with bacon in front of his eyes and the text 'Open your eyes to Tulip Bacon'.

Tulip has been posting double-digit annual growth rates in Italy for several years, and as a result the general manager believes that Tulip holds a strong position on the boot-shaped peninsula.

- Many Italian suppliers are having a hard time at the moment. In this situation, Tulip is seen as a strong and competitive supplier, says Pietro Collivadino

With organic growth of a staggering 6.9pc, Plumrose has yet again demonstrated
that the company's products enjoy very strong demand from American retailers.

Moreover, the high growth is especially impressive in light of the fact that the total
market for bacon and cold cuts has been shrinking afterbig price increases have
forced many consumers to buy less.

CEO Dave Schanzer is satisfied with the results and the way they have been achieved.

- Our substantial organic growth is based on several orders from both existing and new customers. It shows that Plumrose commands a strong position in the market, says Dave Schanzer.

Earnings under pressure

Despite the increased volume and revenue, Plumrose's results are basically the same as last year.

- We have seen record-high commodity price increasesand even though we have passed many of these increases on to our customers, we have not been able to follow suit completely, says Dave Schanzer.

In addition, the results have been negativelyimpacted by a court case heard by the Danish Supreme Court. The case involved a productrecall in 2005 which, according to the Supreme Court, was not justifiable on health grounds and was therefore not covered by the group's recall insurance policy despite the fact that the products were contaminated with gear oil. The lost court case results in a loss of DKK 50 million, a non-recurring item which markedly weakens the overall results for the year.

Finally, Plumrose has had high overtime costs because the company has worked hard to meet the increased demand.

New factory in the USA

- Capacity at two of our factories has been more than fully utilised for a long time. Therefore I am very happy that Danish Crown has decided to build a new cold cuts factory in Iowa. When it is finished in 2013, it won't just solve our capacity problems. It will also ensure more high-quality products, a more environmentally friendly production and lower costs, says Dave Schanzer.

The first sod was cut at the beginning of October, and the factory will improve both Plumrose's competitiveness and the company's reputation.

It will thus be LEED-certified by the American authorities, which means that the most modern technology available will be used to ensure the least possible pollution and the lowest possible energy consumption.

- For many of our biggest customers, the environmental impact of their suppliers is very important, so the new plant will also make Plumrose a more attractive business partner. Today, Plumrose produces both private-label and branded Plumrose products while the collaboration with the American Heart Association on producing low-salt products is increasing the value of the Plumrose brand, says Dave Schanzer.

On the right track

There is every reason to feel optimistic about Plumrose's development.

- The general trend is that fewer consumers are eating out at restaurants, but buying their foods in shops, which is obviously unfortunate for the food-service industry, but good for us. At the same time, many consumers have switched from brand products to privatelabel, which represents a very big chunk of our business, says Dave Schanzer.

And even though he thinks the US economy is finding its feet again, he sees no reasonto change Plumrose's strategy.

- We continue to see very strong demand. The new financial year is primarily about completing the new factory on time and within budget. At the same time, we must work with sales to ensure that both the new and existing factories are working to capacity as soon as the new factory is finished. This is a key focus area, and I expect to achieve both goals, says Dave Schanzer.

Why not sel?

He also takes the opportunity to address the question of whether, in fact, Danish Crown's owners ought not to sell Plumrose.

This has been discussed on several occasions by the Board of Representatives, and Dave Schanzer acknowledges that it is a relevant issue.

- There is no doubt that, being located in the USA, Plumrose is of far less strategic importance than many of the other companies in the group. However, we have become more strategically important inrecent years because today we only buy spare-ribs from Danish Crown and canned products from Tulip Food Company, yet our situation is nevertheless special, says Dave Schanzer.

However, Dave Schanzer has his own answer to the question.

Is the juice worth the squeeze? I believe it is. Plumrose is good business for the company's owners, and will be for many years to come, he says with a smile

The group posted revenue of DKK 24.7 billion in H1 against DKK 21.8 billion last year. Net profit in H1 was DKK 742 million compared with DKK 661 million last year.

The competitive prices have meant an increased supply of animals for slaughter, which is a major contributory factor to higher revenue and increased volume.

However, CEO Kjeld Johannesen indicates that considerable challenges lie ahead - also in the short term.

- We need to continue our hard work to ensure competitive prices for our owners, while the increasing prices in the market may pose challenges for the company's processing activities, which make up 40pc of revenue, he says.

It is virtually impossible to think of anything negative to say about DAT-Schaub's
results for the year. The company has increased earnings within all business areas, and according to CEO Jan Roelsgaard, this is ultimate proof that our strategy for the past ten years has been right.

- Organic growth is not enough for DAT-Schaub because we are hampered by the availability of meat supplies. Consequently, we have spent the past ten years making strategic acquisitions around the world, and this is what is at the bottom of our record results, Jan Roelsgaard explains.

DAT-Schaub has not made any acquisitions in the past financial year, but that does not mean that DAT-Schaub is going to stop growing. Therefore, Jan Roelsgaard has set his eyes on new potential candidates which may contribute to strengthening the company.

- We still operate in a very fragmented market which is set to undergo further consolidation in the coming years, and therefore we are keeping an eye on any interesting candidates. Today, customers see DAT-Schaubas a company with one of the best distribution systems and some of the best products in the world. This is what is behind the record earnings, and it is therefore incredibly important for us to safeguard this position, says Jan Roelsgaard.

Dampened expectations

He expects DAT-Schaub to continue to deliver good results if the current strategy is maintained.

- This year, our earnings are several times higher than three or four years ago, and we obviously cannot repeat this performance every year. It is therefore important to say that earnings will probably be slightly lower next year, but results may still be quite satisfactory anyway, says Jan Roelsgaard.

He also points out that the incorporation of DAT-Schaub as a limited company may well entail additional structural changes in the coming years.

- Of course, we must focusstrongly on our daily operations, but we also need to take a close look at our organisational structure to make sure that it remains just right, says Jan Roelsgaard

In January, Danish Crown officially acquired D&S Fleisch, which is now called Danish
Crown Fleisch.

With 3.5 million slaughterings a year, Danish Crown Fleisch is the fourth-largest slaughterhouse in Germany. The CEO of the new company is Steen Sønnichsen.

- We are pleased that the agreement has now been finalised, and we look forward to gettingto know the company in more detail in the coming months. We will now be taking an extremely close look at things to identifyanything which may need changing to suit Danish Crown's operations, said Steen Sønnichsen in January.

Danish Crown Fleisch is located in Essen, (Oldenburg) close to some of Danish Crown's other departments in northern Germany. The company also has slaughterhouse facilities in Cappeln near Oldenburg.

The north German company has recorded strong growth for a number of years and supplies the retail trade, the processing industryI januar overtog Danish Crown formelt D&S Fleisch, der nu hedder Danish Crown Fleisch.and the export markets. Only German pigs are slaughtered at the two slaughterhouses, and pig deliveries are based on contracts which Danish Crown is now taking over.

- We look forward to continuing the very close working relationship with the German suppliers. A German slaughterhouse for German pigs will offer access to the market and benefit the entire group, said Steen Sønnichsen.

INCREASED SOLIDITY

- In recent years, the German market and the operating economies for German slaughterhouses have represented a significant challenge for Danish Crown. Therefore, as far back as eighteen months ago we were realising that we could achieve a significant impact by being active in the German raw materials market, and now we have found the optimum solution, said Kjeld Johannesen, CEO of Danish Crown, when the agreement was signed.

With this acquisition, Danish Crown is gaining a presence in the German market and also strengthening its international sales.

Fried bacon. A Danish culinary tradition, which has seen a revival on the back of the retro wave, has been a particularly popular dish in recent weeks. With a general
election coming up, fried bacon is on the menu with sales winning ground by more than 70pc relative to the same period last year.

More than half a million more bacon slices were sold to consumers during the election campaign, with extra slaughterings necessary to meet demand.

- In connection with annual festivals etc., many Danes have very fixed dining traditions. General elections are no exception, and many people insist on serving fried bacon while the election results tick in, says Danish Crown's Director of Communications Anne Villemoes.

On the threshold of a new financial year, ESS-FOOD could not only present a satisfactory set of results, but also a new face. The well-known, 40-yearold logo has been modernised to highlight the company's strong position in a modern world.

Morten Holm, Managing Director of ESS-FOOD, takes pleasure in heading a company which is one step ahead of the competition, and which in the past year has seen massive growth in a number of new growth markets, including China.

- We have had a satisfactory year with strong growth in both tonnage and revenue. This is, among other things, due to a marked increase in sales to China, while sales to the rest of the Far East are also up. We have seen the same trend in several other markets, says Morten Holm.

ESS-FOOD not only has exports from Denmark to other markets. The company has also established an interesting business exporting a variety of foods from China to other parts of the world.

Everywhere

ESS-FOOD is everywhere.

- It is important to keep your eyes open to new opportunities at all times, also in markets which some people mistakenly write off as uninteresting. This applies, for example, to Africa, which many companies see as one big poor area instead of looking at it as a continent consisting of many different countries like Europe, where we like to assess the specific potential of each individual country. This is what we do in ESS-FOOD, and not only has it already paid off - there is still plenty of potential, says Morten Holm.

Few threats

In South America, ESS-FOOD is also seeing an increase in demand for Danish pork at present, and Morten Holm is expecting joint ventures in several countries to lead to increased levels of activity.

He does not expect as much from this market as he does from China and the rest of the Far East, but he still regards South America as an area where ESS-FOOD has a chance of generating increased growth and earnings in the coming year.

All in all, Morten Holm is quite optimistic about the future.

- As far as I can see, the only real threat is that of the economies in the EU and the USA grinding to a complete standstill, thereby halting growth in China. However, I consider it very unlikely because growth in China is driven by a marked increase in demand. I would therefore say that the future of ESS-FOOD looks bright, something which I expect will be reflected in the results for the coming year, Morten Holm concludes

True to French tradition, everyday between 12 noon and 2 pm, workers leave their
offices in droves and make their way to the local restaurants to have lunch with
their colleagues. Most order a meat dish, and many are served steaks from Raynal Petersen, a company in the Danish Crown group.

- The French eat meat for lunch almost every day. The restaurants can source this attractively priced meat from us because we get the beef from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland, where the proportion of dairy herds is very high. In Denmark it is 85pc for example, while the distributionin France is approx. 50pc dairy herds and 50pc beef herds. This means that we can supply a reasonable quality more cheaply than our competitors, explains Jean Michel Foucault, head of Raynal Petersen.

So far, Raynal Petersen has been attached to Danish Crown's subsidiary ESS-FOOD
France. As of 1 October, the company has been transferred to DC Beef, and Raynal Petersen thus starts a new financial year as DC Beef. This was the third time in his 22 years as head of Raynal Petersen that Jean Michel Foucault had a new boss as the company has changed hands numerous times since its foundation 47 years ago.

NATO supplier

Back then, the company primarily supplied meat to the NATO headquarters in Paris.

Danish meat had been approved by NATO, and the Americans in particular preferred pork and beef from Denmark. However, in 1969 President Charles de Gaulle decided that France should leave NATO, and its headquarters therefore moved to Brussels, effectively putting an end to Raynal Petersen's business model.

Multiple Danish owners

- After this, the company devoted itself to importing pork and beef for the French market, and it has had many different Danish owners over the years. The company is now part of DC Beef, but its focus remains the same: Buying beef from European suppliers and selling it to the French market, explains Jean Michel Foucault.

However, while Raynal Petersen sells very little to the biggest French supermarket chains which generally prefer to sell French meat in their primary stores, the company is a popular supplier to many small shops and to food-service and catering businesses.

Many advantages

And Jean Michel Foucault is confident that the company will see increased growth in the coming years thanks to its solid foundations.

- In my view, there are five things which a company needs to make money. We have strong and rich customers who can and will pay for our products. We are backed by a robust company in the form of Danish Crown, which also guarantees regular deliveries. Moreover, we have excellent employees and a well-run logistics set-up at our terminal in Paris, and all in all that makes Raynal Petersen a very solid company, says its head.

Good staff

Jean Michel Foucault is thus convinced that Raynal Petersen has both the right business model and the right employees to take the growth seen in recent years even further.

The Danish Crown group has decided to change the former structure of ESS-FOOD
France, which comprises Raynal Petersen and Desfis. From 1 October 2011, the
company's name is Danish Crown France S.A., with its activities falling under DC
Beef and the Pork Division in the group's parent company.

From the office in Orléans, Tommy Jensen stays on as Managing Director of Danish Crown France S.A., which is responsible for the pork-related activities. He is pleased with recent results as he looks towards the future.

- The former ESS-FOOD France generally performed well last year. However, sales in Russia were ratherdisappointing in relation to expectations, but on the other hand we significantly increased sales from Denmark to France. We have attached a lot of importanceto increasing volumes shipped from Denmark, and have been successful in doing so with a 50pc increase relative to last year. In the longer term, our goal is to reach further out to retailers. In addition, China and Hong Kong have been bright spots as we have sold considerable volumes at high prices, says Tommy Jensen.

An advantage

Tommy Jensen expects the new structure to ensure greater security of supply of raw materials to the two divisions. 

- We concentrate mainly on pork activities in Orléans and Bonnétable, where the results are satisfactory. Customers are willing to pay good prices, and we have again increased volumes at the factory by 10-15pc. We see an exciting period ahead of us in the pork market, because France is the European country lagging most behind in terms of slaughterhouse consolidation. We expect a lot to happen in the next few years, foresees Tommy Jensen.

Focus is also on the group's goal of keeping inventories to an absolute minimum, thereby improving the operating economy.

- It is a big and exciting project. At the same time, following Danish Crown's acquisition of D&S Fleisch, we now have a foothold in the German market, which will open up new opportunities in France, says Tommy Jensen.

As Danish Crown has developed into an increasingly international business, the distribution of workplaces between Denmark and abroad has also tipped. Today, two thirds of the group's employees work outside Denmark, providing an insight into other cultures. At the same time, Danish Crown is now one of the biggest production workplaces in Denmark, putting the company under certain obligations - both in
terms of occupational health and safety and reducing the number of work-related accident

It is the first health and well-being project in the slaughterhouse industry where the aim is preventative, and this has encouraged 98pc of employees to participate.

- This is an incredibly high take-up rate in comparison with similar projects in other industries, says Randi Madsen, Work Environment Manager at DC Insurance and coordinator of the ambitious project.

DC Life kicked off with a health check of the participating employees. Here, some had a positive surprise, while others were asked to contact their doctor as they might need treatment for high blood pressure. In this way, DC Life is looking beyond only work-related issues.

Pernille sheds pounds and gains years.

As part of the health check, employees undergo a body age test which reveals whetheryou are physically older - or younger - than your actual age. For Pernille Froholdt from the back department in Sæby, it was a bit of a wake-up call.

- I'm 31, but my body age was 46. I thought "Wow, you've got to watch it", says Pernille Froholdt, who immediately joined the Weight Shedders' Club.

This was resurrected in November when DC Life was launched in Sæby. Over a three-month period, Pernille Froholdt lost 8.7 kg and won the club's first prize. Altogether, members of the Weight Shedders' Club have lost 45.7 kg.

- I'm now back at my right age, which has meant I've even had to buy new work trousers, smiles Pernille Froholdt.

We want DC Life too

The idea is for DC Life to serve as an inspiring pilot project for the entire industry, which in three years' time will be extended once the trial in northern Jutland has finished. However, so much interest has been expressed in the project from employees in, for example, Herning, Esbjerg and Horsens, that efforts are now being made to speed up the roll-out by applying for further funding.

DC Life is an important project

CEO of the Prevention Fund, Charlotte Fuglsang, was clearly impressed when she visited Danish Crown's slaughterhouse in Sæby to take a closer look at the DC Life health project. The Prevention Fund is a big contributor to this large-scale project, and during her visit Charlotte Fuglsang was able to study the slaughterhouse employees' working conditions.

Café keeps up spirits

Every six months, the employees are given a health check. However, this can be a long time to wait if you are not sure that what you are doing is right. Consequently, employees can drop in to a 'health café' where health consultants are ready to offer advice and guidance. If the issue is losing weight, employees can also take their families along to the health café so everyone can get involved.

- The consultants have never seen such a high level of interest. The guidance is individual, but so many people have been registering at the health cafés that we have started putting people into groups, says Randi Madsen from DC Insurance.

Out with the sweets - bring in the veg.

Previously, one corner of the canteen in Sæby stocked a wide range of sweets. Now the sweets are gone, replaced by a salad bar with lots of vegetables. The new 'Green Corner' has been set up to support the DC Life project.

In Sæby, 30pc of employees eat in the canteen, of whom about 10pc eat in the Green Corner. Changing eating habits is not easy. To begin with there was a lot of resistance to the green initiatives. People wanted to know whether they worked at a slaughterhouse or in a horticultural business.

French TV crew visits Sæby

What on earth was a Franco/German TV crew doing at the slaughterhouse in Sæby in May? Well, as it happens, rumours had spread across Europe that Denmark knows a thing or two about occupational health and safety and prevention. And this was the very topic which the well-known TV station Arte wanted to make a programme about, focusing on DC Life.

- Our research on the issue led us to Denmark. You are way ahead in terms of occupational health and safety and prevention. So it was just a question of heading northwards, said TV journalist Simone Hoffmann from Arte.

November 2010 saw the publication of the Danish Working Environment Authority's report on accidents at work for 2009, and for the second consecutive year, the slaughterhouse industry achieved a marked reduction in the number of work-related accidents. In just two years, the number of accidents has almost been halved.

At Danish Crown, there has been a lot of focus on this issue in recent years. Through targeted efforts, the company reduced the number of accidents by 34pc between 2006/07 and 2008/09.

Successful project.

The project to reduce accidents started six years ago at the slaughterhouse in Ringsted, on Zealand, but has since been rolled out to include as many as seventeen Danish Crown facilities.

- We have learnt that increasing safety in the workplace is primarily a question of changing people's attitudes. Deep down, we know how to conduct ourselves at work and what precautions to take as employees. In our experience, it therefore actually takes very little to markedly reduce the number of workrelated accidents. And then, of course, we also use the carrot-and-stick method, explains Randi Madsen with a smile. Randi Madsen is the initiator of the project and Work Environment Manager at DC Insurance.

- Moreover, we are determined to get people back to work as soon as possibleafter an accident. All in all, this means that we have halved the number of working days lost due to accidents, Randi Madsen concludes

Danish Crown has plans to erect two wind turbines beside the slaughterhouse
in Horsens. The idea is that one turbine will supply electricity to the slaughterhouse while neighbours will buy shares in the other, enabling both the slaughterhouse and private families living nearby to benefit from environment-friendly production while reducing their respective CO2 emissions.

- This is a completely new venture for us. We have decided to do this because, as a major consumer of electricity, we want to shoulder our share of the responsibility for sustainable production, and also because it makes good business sense, says Danish Crown's Technical Director Søren F. Eriksen.

The plan to erect two 2.3 MW wind turbines is still at an early stage. Danish Crown has submitted a planning application to the Municipality of Horsens, which is already drawing up a general plan for wind turbines in the municipality, and at the same time the company is preparing more detailed plans for the turbines, among other things visualisations and technical specifications.

In December, Danish Crown in Tønder won a green smiley when the Danish Working Environment Authority came to conduct a special screening inspection. This makes a full house of green smileys for all the DC and Tulip departments which have been subject to special inspections since the summer holidays in 2010. Danish Crown's Work Environment Manager, Randi Madsen, is delighted.

- It is wonderful and rather unusual in the industry that so many departments pass through the eye of the needle without any comments, says Randi Madsen.

Can a slaughterhouse teach a hospital anything about cleaning?

- It always makes sense to find inspiration elsewhere, said the anthropologist Marlene Møller when, early one morning in March, she visited Danish Crown in Horsens to accompanythe DC inspectors on their rounds.

Normally, Marlene Møller works for Conceptmaking, a company which is collaborating with the Regional Hospital of Randers on a research and innovation project about hygiene in hospital toilets, and it was for this purpose that Marlene was in Horsens.

- It was a very different experience following the cleaning checks compared to seeing the slaughterhouse while production was in full swing. Everything was washed down and gleaming, and there was rather a special, calm atmosphere with everyone concentrating on their work. It was a memorable experience, albeit early in the day, said Marlene Møller.

As an anthropologist, Marlene Møller is used to conducting field studies. Her task this time is to carry out the investigative work, which will, among other things, provide a basis for developing hygiene-improving measures.

The red carpet was rolled out and the flag was flying when HRH Prince Henrik visited Danish Crown's slaughterhouse in Horsens in May.

Factory Manager Per Laursen, Chairman of the Board of Directors Niels Mikkelsen and CEO Kjeld Johannesen welcomedPrince Henrik and took the royal party along the visitors' gallery.

On the tour, Prince Henrik, who is a passionate gastronomist, asked many questions about the production line, the pigs and exports of various parts of the animal.

Prince Henrik also came face to face with Ferdinand the Young Bull and Frida the Happy Pig, Danish Crown'sofficial mascots. Initially they just waved to each other, but later Frida shook hands with the Prince Consort.

It's all about food

After the tour, Prince Henrik was served three gourmet dishes: Two kinds of sushi with pork, and Jerusalem artichoke foam with Danish Crown's spider steaks, which are beef or veal collarbone cuts.

- The Prince Consort thought it tasted delicious, said Per Laursen, as Prince Henrik, 30 minutes later, left to continue with the day's programme, taking with him a couple of pig backpacks for his grandchildren.

An accident at work can spell unemployment for a slaughterhouse worker. However, not so for Peter  Keller from the loading department in Skærbæk. In March 2010, his right thumb was caught between a metal hook and a gliding rail, an accident which meant that he lost the end of his finger.

- I was really unhappy because I thought I would lose my job as a result. I have been with DC for more than 30 years, and don't really want to be anywhere else. So I was thrilled when I was told that I could stay, says 57-year-old Peter Keller.

Ten months after starting up slowly, Peter Keller was back working full-time.

- It is the best arrangement ever. Instead of being either on sick leave or not, I was able to start working, initially for just a couple of hours a day, Peter Keller explains.

Surrounded by rolls of labels, 52-yearold Helle Marvig Hansen sits at the computer. A roll is loaded onto the machine, and 200 labels are ready for use.

- If you'd told me ten years ago that I would be sitting in front of a computertoday, I would have said you were crazy, says Helle Marvig Hansen.

She has arthritis in her whole body, but it doesn't stop her from coming in to work every day. For more than 30 years, she has worked at Tulip in Faaborg and been involved in many different productions, but because of her arthritis, master journeyman Jesper Lorenzen helped find her a less strenuous job.

Jesper Lorenzen talks to the employees who are off sick about what he and the company can do to help them.

- It soon became clear that we had to find a solution which was less arduousfor Helle, says Jesper Lorenzen.

The spring sun shone on all the panting runners as they participated in a run around Danish Crown's slaughterhouse in Horsens last April. With 450 runners - four times as many participants as the previous year - the run was a tremendous success.

- There was a fantastic atmosphere, almost like at a carnival. I've never experienced anything like it at a running event. Everyone could join in, from novicesto ultra runners, said a delighted Lars Mose, union representative and Horsens Run organiser.

The route round the slaughterhouse measures exactly 1,363.11 metres, and participants could run a six-hour race, a marathon, a half marathon and various circuits right down to just two rounds.

Proceds donated to disabled sports

The run generated proceeds of, provisionally, DKK 21,000, which were presented to the Danish Sports Organisation for the Disabled.

- This is sport for sport. We support others so they can engage in sports, explains Lars Mose.

Sixteen disabled runners participated in the Horsens. Run on special running bikes.

Many spectators cheered the runners along the route, and also grabbed the chance to tour the slaughterhouse at the same time.

Once the pigs have been slaughtered and butchered in Denmark, the German factories take over on a large scale. This has reduced the cost of deboning fore-ends by about 50pc. Every day, 16-17 trucks arrive with cuts from Denmark, and the factory in Boizenburg near the River Elbe is a hive of activity. Factory Manager Ole Lyngesen quickly gets an overview.

- It's going really well. At the moment, we are deboning 150,000 fore-ends a week. That is a fivefold increase in relation to when we started in 2003. And we are doing it at half what it would cost in Denmark per fore-end, says Ole Lyngesen.

FRESH GODS ALWAYS

- We are the extended arm of the production activities in Denmark. When the day shift in Denmark has finished cutting up the animals, the evening shift down here takes over. And likewise with the evening shift's output, which is deboned by the day shift down here. This ensures a very high level of freshness, says Ole Lyngesen. He explains that the cuts are destined for markets in Europe, Russia and Asia. Some are readypacked and others frozen, but they are always of the highest quality and ready by the agreed time.

Quality always comes before volume, and it must be the Danish Crown standard, says Ole Lyngesen

- NEIN!!

Defensively, Günther Köhler holds his hands in front of him. He shakes his head, repeating his answer loudly

. - No, no. No, I do NOT want a return to how it used to be.

For the past five years, Günther Köhler has been working at the slaughterhouse which Danish Crown took over at the beginning of the year.

- It's the same walls, the same pigs and the same colleagues, but working here now is completely different. The way everyone speaks to each other is more civilised, and now it's fun going to work, says 44-year-old Günther Köhler.

- Today we talk in a civilised manner with one another if mistakes are made. It createsa far better atmosphere, and it doesn't cost anything to speak nicely to each other, he says.

NEW MANAG EMENT STYLE

The way people conducted themselves also surprised Steen Sønnichsen, who is responsible for DC's German departments.

Today, employees pop their heads into the office as the most natural thing in the world - which wasn't the case to begin with.

- We have obviously brought our Danish management style with us to Essen. We want ideas, views and employees who assume responsibility and who think for themselves, he says.

Head of Production in the Pork Division, Arthur Petersen, stopped after 24 years at Danish Crown.

Head of Production Arthur Petersen was always on the go, and two of his most important tools were his telephone and his car. Driving more than 80,000 km a year, he spent much of his time in his car talking regularly with factory managers and others who needed his advice.

At the beginning of the year, Arthur Petersen decided it was sensible to slow down a bit. The Pork Division's anchorman has pulled in to retire.

Before being promoted to Head of Production, Arthur Petersen was factory manager in Kolding and Odense, but his background is not in fact in the slaughterhouse industry. Originally he was a qualified smith and ship's engineer, but to get a sense of what it feels like to have a knife in your hand, he has takenseveralbutchery courses. Occasionally he has had to wield the knife, so to speak, for example when having to tell employees that Danish Crown had decided to close their department. Not an easy task, but Arthur Petersen diligently shouldered it, just as he has worked hard to optimise production across a broad field.

When most people are switching off their lights and going to bed, the night shift sets to work in Sdr. Felding.

In Danish Crown, employees on the night shifts are called 'the bats', like the animals which only come out at night. The staff magazine, 'Krogen' took a close look at what happens at the meat-processing factory in Sdr. Felding in the depths of the night.

It's 10 pm, and the  sixteen employees clock in for a night of producing beef medallions, lunch steaks and roast beef.

Outside, everything is quiet and cloaked in darkness, while in production the lights shine brightly. Here we meet the 'bat' in charge, master journeyman Brian Christensen. He heads the night shift, but has not always been a nocturnal creatur.

- I have never worked nights before, but it's what I like best. Everything is a bit calmer. The telephone isn't ringing continuously, and there are not that many of us so we all have a great time together, says Brian Christensen.

Everyone pitches in and helps each other. This particular night, Brian Christensen is topping lunch steaks with herb butterbecause an employee has fallen ill.

- When an employee is off sick, we can't just call in someone to replace him. Everyone else is sleeping, of course. So we have to cover for each other. However, we don't have a lot of absence due to illness, because the team knows that it hits everyone hard when we are just one person short, explains Brian Christensen..

Many employees choose to devote many years of their working lives to Danish Crown. However, only a few, like HR consultant Edith Poulsen, manage to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

She was only 16 years old when she started her first job as an office assistant at Danish Crown - or rather Bjerringbro Cooperative Slaughterhouse as it was called then.

Now, 50 years later, Edith Poulsen is still with DanishCrown. On 31 October she celebrated her 50th anniversary.

At home, he's the sort of person who switches lights off after himself and saves water. Master journeyman Martin René Rasmussen also adopts this environmentally conscious approach when he meets up for work at Danish Crown in Ringsted on Zealand.

Consequently, he was astonished by the large volumes of water which are used every time one of the blue plastic tubs emerges clean from the washer.

- Water sloshed onto the floor, and that sort of waste irritates me. So I thought that it must be possible to do something about it, explains Martin René Rasmussen.

He started by measuring how much water was being wasted, and discovered that for every plastic tub cleaned, 17 litres of 80°C hot water run straight into the drains. With 180 tubs a day, it equates to more than 3,000 litres of water. The solution is a waste-water collection tray. There is a collection grate in the floor, from which the used water is pumped to a filter which cleans the water so it can be reused in the tub washer. The project has cost approx. DKK 27,000. Total water and energy savings are estimated to be approx. DKK 35,000 a year, so the payback time is only eight months

At the end of November, the snow-clad Danish Crown facility in Blans in southern Jutland received a visit from the then Minister for Science, Charlotte Sahl-Madsen,
who wanted to hear more about Danish Crown's technical innovation. The minister
came to take a good look at Danish Crown's innovative technology and to see specific examples of it in Blans's cutting and packaging departments.

- It was exciting to see the technology in use. Visiting Danish Crown has given me fresh insight into how important production technology innovation is for the company's competitiveness, said Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.

Much of the slaughterhouse in Blans burned down in 2007. Consequently, the Minister for Science saw a new and top-modern slaughterhouse when she toured the production facilities, and all the technology made a big impression.

- I am delighted that the Minister for Science has decided to visit Danish Crown. We understand the minister's interest in the company, as we have a lot to offer in terms of industrial innovation, which is in short supply in Denmark, said Svend Erik Sørensen, Danish Crown Vice President, Chairman of the Centre for Advanced Food Studies (LMC) and a member of the Danish Council for Strategic Research.

Early one morning in April, Harald Børsting, President of the Danish Confederation
of Trade Unions (LO), and a delegation from LO Aalborg had a tour of the slaughterhouse in Aalborg to take a closer look at a production enterprise like Danish Crown. Factory Manager Palle D. Sørensen and union representative Henning Lønstrup showed the party round, telling them about the factory while Head Analyst Karl Christian Møller talked about Danish Crown's plans and challenges.

- It is extremely valuable for me to see what things are like for union representative Henning Lønstrup and his colleagues, said Harald Børsting.

The recently announced plans to build a new cattle slaughterhouse and invest in about 300 Danish jobs greatly interested the LO President, who was delighted to hear about the project and all the new jobs.

The reason for the visit was LO Aalborg's 125th anniversary, which was celebrated with visits to the biggest companies in Aalborg, including Danish Crown.

- It is very exciting to see such high-tech production, said Anders Samuelsen.

He lives in Horsens, and has followed the construction of the five-year old
slaughterhouse.

- It's nice to see it from inside. It exemplifies a company which is contributing to Denmark's welfare, and therefore it is important that we do what we can for workplaces such as this, he said.

- It's Anders Samuelsen of all people, shouted an employee in the canteen when Liberal Alliance's party leader was shown around the slaughterhouse, which employs 1,500 people.

Globalisation, logistics and pig's hearts in cream sauce were some of the topics discussed along the way.

RED DOTS DESIGED TO STOP FIRES.

- People smile slightly when I point to a red dot and explain that this is the latest fire-prevention weapon, says André Lorenzen.

He is an engineer at the slaughterhouse in Skærbæk, and points out the red dots on the walls, indicating that the walls are flammable.

- Many people think that a fire at a slaughterhouse is an impossibility because it's just bricks and concrete. But about 75pc of our walls contain polystyrene or foam, which burn easily, he says.

The red dots indicate that pallets, floor cleaning machines etc. must not be placed up against the walls.

FIRE DOOR FOILS THE FIRE.

Walking through the department in Ringsted, Niels Conradsen suddenly stops and looks down. A yellow wedge sits under a fire door, preventing it from closing if a fire breaks out. He immediately locates an employee and explains why the door must never be blocked in this way.

- It is important that we always focus on explaining that it is not permitted and why it is not allowed, so employees remember and understand the importance of fire doors and gates, explains Technical Manager Niels Conradsen.

TRUCK LOADERS CAN BURST IN TO FLAMES OR EXPLODE.

On the face of it, it doesn't seem that dangerous to put the plug on your truck into a socket to recharge its batteries.

 - However, it is important to have proper conditions in the areas where truck loaders and floor cleaning machines are recharged, because in the worst possible scenario shortcircuiting or an explosion can happen and start a fire, says CEO Klaus Møller from DC Insurance. 

IF YOU LIGHT UP THERE, YOU'RE FIRED.

Everyone in Herning had a shock when a rubbish bag caught fire in the smoking room. It happened after the large fires at the slaughterhouses in Skive and Blans, and even a fire in a waste bin can easily prove fatal. Both employees and Factory Manager Kaj Meldgård were well aware of the ultimate threat to their workplace.

- If the factory is destroyed by fire, it will not be rebuilt, and everyone will lose their jobs. So when I take a hard line and refuse to accept people smoking outside the designated areas, the employees know why, he says.

TIDINESS AGAINST FIRE.

Jens Jørgen Kjeldsen opens the door to the technical room in the basement at DC Beef in Fårvang in central Jutland

- See, what did I say! Things always find their way in here, says the 49-year-old engineer, before resolutely wheeling the wheelbarrow out of the room.

- We are slightly pushed for space down in the basement, so when people see a large, empty room, they are tempted to put things in here. They don't think about whether things are flammable, and that they may cause the factory to burn down, says Jens Jørgen Kjeldsen.

The fine weather at the end of April and in early May was reflected in the sales of sausages. Never before has Tulip experienced such a high demand for sausages as it did in week.

- Our previous record for sausage production in a single week for the Danish market was beaten by 150 tonnes, and altogether Tulip sold about one million sausages in Denmark, says Tulip's Nordic Sales Director Peter Guldager.

The employees at Tulip's factories didn't have much time to enjoy their own barbecues in May as they volunteered to work a seven-day week in order to keep pace with demand.

An early start to the barbecuing season added to the workload at Danish Crown when the warm weather encouraged consumers to grill large volumes of meat, much of it from DC's departments. Both the retail-packaging department in Herning in central Jutland and DC in Hadsund in northern Jutland had to call in reinforcements to keep up with demand.

Friday 18 March 2011 was a special day for the employees at the retailpackaging
department at Danish Crown in Herning after they set no less than two records in the course of the day.

- It was our biggest day ever. We had to ship 322,000 trays, which is a new record, says Production Manager Allan Ernstrøm.

The packs included 139,000 trays of Cumberland sausage, and that in itself is a record - Herning has never packed that much Cumberland sausage before, not even for Christmas.

The hive of activity resulted from three large customers celebrating a major anniversary, a birthday and offering special discounts all within the same brief period.

On 20 December, the state-employed inspection technicians at Danish Crown's slaughterhouses threw down their tools because of their frustration at a letter from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. This meant that the number of slaughterings had to be halved.

- The fact that the inspection technicians chose to stop work on the busiest day of the year demonstrates a lack of respect for all the slaughterhouse workers who are currently working flat out to guarantee roast pork on Christmas tables across Europe, said Danish Crown's Director of Corporate Communications Anne Villemoes about the strike.

While some Tulip employees were enjoying their Christmasholidays, many people were working extra hard in Vejle where, despite the wintry weather, new production equipment was being fitted. The existing line is already running seven days a week, so to ensure that production volumes can be maintained, the new line is provisionally being installed in a newly erected pavilion measuring 328 square metres.

Christmas is the record-setting season at DC's retail-packaging department in Herning in central Jutland. This has been the case for the past few years, and Christmas 2010 was no exception.

In week 49, 626 tonnes of loins, tenderloins, mince, Cumberland sausage and other Yuletide goodies poured out of the department to Danish consumers.

- That's an all-time record for us. We have never producedso much in a single week before, and the record might well hold for many years, says Production Manager Allan Ernstrøm.

The production plant in Hadsund is quite old, and the factory site does not permit expansion or production optimisations. Danish Crown has therefore decided
to close the department and shift production. 

In December 2010, Danish Crown announced that it would endeavour to move production in Hadsund to new premises in the closed Tulip factory in Sdr. Borup in East Jutland, but that agreements would have to be reached which would ensure a sound economic footing, and efforts are still being made to achieve this.

- At the moment we are looking at the possibility of moving production to other Danish Crown departments as an alternative - either in Denmark or abroad. Unfortunately, this may entail the loss of Danish jobs, says Kjeld Johannesen.

The department in Hadsund will be phased out in step with production being moved to other plants.

In summer 2010, Danish Crown started reaping the benefits of DC Future in earnest with about one million more pigs being delivered for slaughter, which helped safeguard more than 400 Danish jobs. The positive trend continued, and Danish Crown saw an influx of new cooperative owners, among other things thanks to the competitive prices offered by the group.

In early 2011, Danish Crown therefore took on 150 new employees at slaughterhouses and deboning facilities across Denmark.

- We are currently seeing an increase in demand from several of our export markets, including South Korea. This confirms that Danish Crown is maintaining its position as a competitive slaughterhouse business, said Kjeld Johannesen, CEO of Danish Crown, in February.

Higher feed prices meant that pig producers wanted to reduce the slaughter weight. This increased the pressure in a situation where many suppliers were having to wait to have their pigs collected for slaughter following the Christmas and New Year bank holidays and because of the challenging road conditions caused by the winter weather.

Creating the new jobs was therefore also a sign that Danish Crown was doing its utmost to catch up on the backlog of pigs awaiting slaughter.

Successful job bank in Skærbæk

When Paul Sejer, union representative and manager of the job bank in Skærbæk in western Jutland, totted up his figures, he could see that the job bank had helped 33 out of 36 employees to find new jobs. This equates to 92pc.

Sixteen of the employees made redundant had been re-employed by the Danish Crown group.

Almost everyone has found their feet after the closure in Rødding.

There were less than ten unemployed left in Danish Crown's job bank in Rødding after the department closed on 11 March. Thus, 97pc of the original 309 employees had found new work or enrolled on study or training programmes.

- I have less than ten active job seekers at the moment, which is really good, said job bank manager Niels-Henrik Sørensen one week before the job bank was due to close.

The Rødding department closed at the end of October 2010. Many of the employees have found work at Danish Crown departments elsewhere while others have found new employers. Finally, many have decided to retrain, but are eager to return to the job market.

Since 2004, 30pc of employees who have lost their jobs following the closure of a department have returned to Danish Crown.

304 out of 328 employees from the discontinued evening shift in Esbjerg have successfully moved on

Last summer, 328 employees were out of work after the evening shift at the slaughterhouse in Esbjerg had to stop. By the time the job bank closed nine months later, in June, 304 employees had found new work or started on a study or training programme.

- Already after five months, 156 had found jobs, which is far more than we had expected. The job bank has worked extremely well, said job bank manager and former union representative for the evening shift Henning Christiansen.

Several employees have hung on to their knives and found work at Danish Crown slaughterhouses in Horsens, Blans and Esbjerg.

A large proportion of employees have seized the chance to do a course, and a number have started studying after a friendly kick up the backside from Henning Christiansen.

When the job bank closed on 10 June in Esbjerg, HR consultant Lotte Lind Holm took over the task of helping to find work for the last remaining employees

For the second consecutive year, Danish Crown is offering competitiveprices. However, this does not mean that the challengingtimes are over - especially for the company's owners. Much of the year has been spent discussing Danish Crown's ownership structure - and considering the options should foreign capital one day be needed to ensure future growth. And thereby want a say in the decisions made. This discussion is ongoing ...

The district meetings held all over Denmark in the summer left Niels Mikkelsen, Chairman of Danish Crown's Board of Directors, with a clear impression that the owners take a very keen interest in the company's development. However, at the same time they are sorry that they are not in a position themselves to implement the growth strategy which will place Danish Crown in the premier league of European food companies.

- Ours is a time of historical challenges for Danish Crown and Danish pig production, and only the smartest and most competitive have a future in this business. The fact of the matter is that unless you develop your business, you will be left behind, says Niels Mikkelsen, who is thrilled with the positive spirit which pervaded the district meetings and the principal debate about the future of Danish Crown.

Niels Mikkelsen points out that being on the ball is particularly important at the moment:

- Simply resting on one's laurels will leave a gap in the market which will soon be filled by our competitors. For a company like ours, standing still will quite simply undermine our competitiveness. Growth on the other hand will do exactly the opposite - strengthenour competitive edge and enable us to offer higherprices, says Niels Mikkelsen.

Recognition from owners.

True to tradition, owners met again for a number of district meetings in December and a presentation of the results for the year, among other things.

At sixteen meetings across Denmark, the Chairman of the Board of Directors Niels Mikkelsen and CEO Kjeld Johannesen presented the results. And they can look back on a constructive debate with interested and widely supportive owners.

- At a time when the competitiveness of Danish production companies is under immense pressure, we have succeeded in reversing the trend and remaining competitive. We were therefore very pleased to hear the owners'praise for the financial results, says Kjeld Johannesen.

- The owners were very appreciative of all the hard work which has gone into DC Future, and extremely interested in Danish Crown's new strategy plan, DC2015, which will help secure a steady supply of animals in the coming years, concludes Kjeld Johannesen

In October 2010, Danish Crown's Board of Representatives voted massively in favour of the formation of a limited company.

- In practice, the decision does not entail any changes for the company's owners. What it means is simply that the cooperative will establish a limited company which will be wholly owned by the cooperative. The limited company will thus not replace the cooperative in any way, explained Niels Mikkelsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Danish Crown.

The debate about the proposed step started in February 2010 when it was presented at a meeting of the Board of Representatives Since then, it has been on the agenda of all meetings of the Board of Representatives, and was also debated at this summer's meetings for members across the country, culminating in the decision made in October to establish Danish Crown A/S.

- It is a question of ensuring that we have the tools which will be needed in the long term to fulfil the growth strategy adopted by the Board of Representatives. Initially, we have decided to set up a limited company, which will open up other options in the longer term. However, these are options which must now be analysed in greater detail. They must be discussed with members, and will also have to be adopted by the Board of Representatives, says Niels Mikkelsen.

At the October 2010 meeting, the plan for the coming years - DC2015 - was presented and met with unanimous praise and support from the Board of Representatives.

Danish Crown's Danish Veal concept is attracting a growing level of interest. DC Beef
has received registrations for 2011 which are landing at just over 70,000 calves for the year as a whole. This is over 5,000 more calves than last year.

The increase is attributable to a strong belief in the concept among producers. The challengeis to maintain this optimism in the coming years as bull premiums are already being cut markedly next year.

Danish Veal is primarily sold to the Danish market with only limited exports. The meat is marketed by a broad range of shops.

"Gosh, he's huge," exclaims Frida as Ferdinand the Young Bull takes her to see the prize bull Hammel Calvado's.

And she's right.

Weighing in at 1,430 kg, Hammel Calvado's took the prize as the handsomest bull at the national agricultural show in Herning where Danish Crown's Frida the Happy Pig was strolling around with her new friend. First they went for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and then they went visiting the real heavyweights, as Ferdinand calls them.

Ferdinand is just a young bull, but very eager to impress Frida with his beefy muscles nonetheless.

The farming couple Henriette and Johannes Nielsen from Varde have had flags featuring the Danish Veal logo made to hoist at their farm. The enterprising calf producers find that primary production is becoming too distanced from consumers, and only the farmers themselves can change that.

- Thousands of cars pass our drive every day, and after we have erected the flagpoles we have noticed that drivers actually slow down a bit to look at the flags. And the clever thing is, of course, if they recognise the logo when they next go shopping, says Johannes Nielsen.

By January, 600-700 calves were financed via DC Beef.

- The scheme was introduced last autumn as we registered a need for alternative financing, explains Ejvind Kviesgaard, DC Owner Relations.

The scheme is intended for members buying calves up to three months old. They are then financed by DC Beef on contracts. Once the animals are slaughtered by Danish Crown, the borrowed amount with interest is deducted from the farmer's settlement. The interest rate is set by Danish Crown. In addition, an administration fee of DKK 20 per calf is paid on signing the contract.

In early 2011, members were invited to workshops organised by DC Owner Relations throughout Denmark. The purpose of the workshops was to check up on settlement arrangements. And this proved to be well worth it for the owners.

Higher feed prices have meant that many farmers have been allowed to reduce the slaughter weight of their animals, thereby optimising earnings. Thus, taking a closer look at the figures can be a very worthwhile exercise for owners.

- We are under the impression that many farmers have learnt something useful, says Per Hjort, a consultant at DC Owner Relations.

Strengthened sense of ownership.

At the workshop in Randers, several owners were having a cup of coffee together while waiting for a consultant to become available. One of them was a DC owner, Jens Peter Jensen, from Brønderslev in northern Jutland. He was there to find out whether he was using the right settlement method.

- I am quite keen to know whether this is the best settlement method for me, said Jens Peter Jensen, who was pleased with the event.

- It shows that the company cares about our finances, and it helps to reinforce the sense of ownership, explained Jens Peter Jensen.

The farm Stærsminde on the island of Falster is owned by father and son Villy and Kristian Jensen, and is managed by their son/brother-in-law Henrik Berg. The three of them have just been named Pig Producer of the Year by the Danish Pig Research Centre.

In fact, Stærsminde only started up its current pig production in 2007, when its new livestock building was completed. At the time, Villy, Kristian and Henrik were all quite inexperienced with the modern production of pigs for slaughter, but after three years, efficiency is first-class. And efficiency is the very reason why the three former 'novices' can now call themselves Pig Producer of the Year.

The three of them have been members of Danish Crown for as long as Henrik Berg can remember, supplying approx. 8,500 pigs to Danish Crown a year.

In May, 176 members of Danish Crown's Board of Representatives went on a two-day study trip to Germany to see the cattle slaughterhouse in Husum, the newly acquired pig slaughterhouse in Essen/Oldenburg and the large factory in Oldenburg which is run by Danish Crown and Tulip.

- It is important that the members of the Board of Representatives should be given in-depth knowledge of Danish Crown's activities abroad. Not only because the company's activities are growing outside Denmark, but also because much of Danish Crown's revenue is generated abroad, explains Niels Buhl, Chairman of the Committee for Information and Competence, who was very pleased with the trip

A lot of factors must be taken into account when planning the optimum delivery of pigs for slaughter. DC Owner Relations has therefore prepared a so-called quick guide.

- The one-page guide contains the most important information and can be pinned up on the wall in production. It provides the farmer and the farmworkers with a useful overview which can hopefully help ensure the optimum delivery of pigs for slaughter, says Anders Nørgaard, a consultant with DC Owner Relations.

In the spring, Danish Crown drew up a new three-year transport agreement, which will apply from February 2012. The agreement was sent to existing hauliers, but other hauliers were also welcome to submit bids.

- It is always exciting to see the outcome when we invite bids for such a big and important element of our business as the transporting of pigs and sows. We expect the agreements to be in place by the end of June, said Deputy Chief Executive of DC Owner Relations, Vagner Bøge.

The bids resulted in the following:

• Price levels are unchanged.
• 15 districts will have new hauliers.
• 64 districts will be handled by 14 hauliers.
• Contracts with four hauliers are terminated, reducing the number of hauliers to 14 in all.

Although price levels are unchanged, the contract provides for adjustments along the way to reflect increases in payroll and diesel costs.

Since 1 April, all pork producers and suppliers of pigs to Danish Crown have been required to take out product liability insurance.

- It is good news that all members and suppliers to Danish Crown are now insured, said Vagner Bøge, Deputy Chief Executive in Danish Crown.

Vagner Bøge is under the impression that farmers have been positive about having to be insured when supplying pigs to Danish Crown:

- I am very pleased to announce that the necessary insurance is now in place, says Vagner Bøge.

The reason for the new rule is that Danish Crown sees the delivery of pigs with drug residues as a serious problem. When it happens, it is by accident, and in most cases the farmer realises in time and is able to contact the slaughterhouse so that the animal can be intercepted and sent for destruction.

But in those rare cases when drug residues are found during the slaughterhouse's extensive safety inspections, the costs are huge.

- It is not fair that all the owners should have to foot the bill when one farmer supplies a dodgy animal for slaughter. The farmer is therefore asked to pick up the bill, and this is where the insurance comes in, explains Vagner Bøge.

However, the insurance does not mean that failing to comply with Danish Crown's rules is now free. In a recent case, a sow was caught by Danish Crown's comprehensive inspection system, and the member in question had to foot the bill.

- The rules in this area are very clear. If an animal with drug residues is delivered for slaughter and not intercepted in time, the supplier gets a bill corresponding to the product liability insurance excess of DKK 40,000, says Vagner Bøge.

- We mustn't forget that our business is food production, and food must not contain drug residues, Vagner Bøge points out.

Bunkers Hill Farm is one of the largest organic pig farms in the UK and supplies organic pork for the 'Duchy Originals from Waitrose' product range. The Waitrose supermarket chain and Tulip Ltd work closely together via the Tulip subsidiary BQP/Dalehead Food, and it is a very successful partnership, stressed the owner of Bunkers Hill Farm.

Prince Charles also works with Waitrose, and given his strong interest in organics, the visit to the farm made a lot of sense. The Prince recounted how the Duchy Originals brand started 20 years ago with just one biscuit product and clear ambitions, and he emphasised that consumers would buy more organic produce if they understood the many advantages of organic farming.

During the visit, the Dalehead Foods and Waitrose managements talked about the whole string of pork products sold under the Duchy Originals for Waitrose brand, among other things stressing the importance of the meat content of the slaughtered pigs.

Gourmet in the cold counter. Supporting a worthy cause in Denmark's Most Beautiful Pigsty. Consumers in the kitchen. And pork with famous TV chefs. Delivering DC quality is at the heart of product development and the story of the world's largest
meat exporter - in Denmark and internationally.

He gesticulates wildly, pronounces each word perfectly and even his wife is Italian. In other words, it's hard to see that Managing Director Peter Snedker from Danish Crown's in Italy is not a full-bloodied Italian after 25 years in the boot-shaped peninsula.

However, in a country where you never know when the buses are going to show up, Peter Snedker's Danish roots are a valuable asset. In particular, the ability to keep your promises. Since Peter Snedker moved to Italy, the number of trucks arriving in the country with meat from Denmark has increased from 15 trucks a week to about 100, which have since been augmented with 50 trucks from Danish Crown Fleisch in Essen, Germany.

For even though Danish pigs are too Danish and too lean to end up as genuine Parma hams, Danish pork is still in high demand in Italy.

- Danish Crown has some peculiarly Danish qualities which the Italians set great store by. Among other things, Danish Crown always delivers the agreed volumes and on time. Also, the quality of the Danish hams is incredibly uniform, which makes it easier for Italian cold cuts producers to use Danish meat because it is easier to work with, says Peter Snedker.

Out into the world

And it's all about hams. Most of Danish Crown's pork exports to Italy consist of hams, which are cooked and sold either as large joints in butcher's shops or to the meat-processing industry, where they are sliced and sold in cold cut packs in supermarkets.

This is also the reason why Danish Crown does not share offices with Tulip Food Company, which has a Milan office.

- It sounds good in principle, but Tulip competes directly with many of our customers, and they wouldn't be too happy bumping into Tulip employees at our offices when coming to sign a new contract. So our relationship with Tulip is not something we advertise, says Peter Snedker with a smile.

However, it's not just Italian consumers who end up sinking their teeth into hams from Danish Crown. Many of the Danish hams are actually dried in Italy before being sold on as Italian hams to France and the USA, for example, so American consumers can find themselves enjoying an Italian ham made of Danish pork from Danish Crown.

Good outlook.

Peter Snedker sees a bright future as long as Danish Crown wants to sell hams in Italy.

- I regard our business in Italy as being very stable. Italy is only 63pc self-sufficient, and is thus obliged to import more than 800,000 tonnes of meat a year. At the same time, Italian pigs have a slaughter weight of 160-170 kg, because this produces the best Parmais hams, but it also makes the pigs fat and more expensive to rear, says Peter Snedker.

- There is a limit to the number of pigs supplied to Danish Crown, and recently we've found that the kilogram price has gone up in other markets, which therefore pay more than our Italian customers. So we can't say that it's just a question of getting bigger. Our task, of course, is to sell the meat at the highest possible price, regardless of whether it is in Italy, China or somewhere completely different. But I'm convinced that in future we will also have a strong and profitable business in Italy. Our customers just have to realise that the price increases are here to stay, and our Italian customers both will and can pay, no matter what people are saying about the Italian economy, says Peter Snedker.

The Italian porchetta rolled pork roast became a hot favourite with Danes and with Danish Crown in 2011.

The inspiration came from Italy where a record large roast was donated to charity, and in Denmark the dish was presented on air by the popular TV chefs, Adam and James Price.

And porchetta was also on the menu when Danish Crown's Group Management took to the kitchens to discuss strategy in summer 2011.

At the end of June, a party was held in the town square of the Italian town of Bergamo, with Danish Crown being a main contributor to the festivities.

The star attraction was a 16-metre-long porchetta which Salumificio Lorenzi - a good DC
customer - grilled in the middle of the square with the proceeds going to the Paolo Belli organisation which fights leukaemia.

A porchetta is an Italian speciality made from pork loin and herbs rolled into middle cuts and prepared on a barbecue for 12-14 hours. And there was plenty of Danish meat from Danish Crown in the impressively long porchetta.

In a special edition of their popular show, the TV chefs Adam and James Price went on prime-time national television to present their take on a number of pork-based dishes. One of the recipes was home-made and spitroasted Italian rolled pork roast - also known as porchetta.

The weekly food programme is a rich source of inspiration for Danes - and has a clear impact on sales when pork is on the menu.

Adam and James Price loved the porchetta - as do many Danish Crown customers.

Danish Crown has launched an Italianstyle rolled pork roast, and it has gone from strength to strength. Sales of the herb-salted loin fillet with rosemary, thyme and pepper are shooting up.

- We sell between three and four tonnes a month, which is extremely good for such a brand new product. It is a huge success, says Henrik Rosbjerg, Sales Manager with DC Nordic.

Danes love sausages - as do many of the foreigners touching down each day at Copenhagen Airport.

This is evident from the sales figures for the four Steff's Place airport outlets, which often welcome people to Denmark with a hot sausage.

Despite the Icelandic ash cloud, which closed down the airport for several days, sausage sales were up 10pc in 2010. If you put all the sausages sold at Copenhagen Airport in 2010 in a long line, it would be 20 times as long as the combined length of the runways.

- Steff's Place is really popular, and lots of Danes immediately make for the sausage kiosk when returning home from their holiday or businesstrip to other parts of the world where it is impossible to buy a Danish hot dog with all the trimmings, says Michael Kristensen, District Manager at Steff-Houlberg.

In addition to the outlets at Copenhagen Airport, passengers can now also tuck into Steff-Houlberg sausages at Incheon International Airport outside Seoul in South Korea, where Steff-Houlberg's sausages are just as popular as in Denmark.

Famous artists and other volunteers met for a sausage when the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and TV2 raised 110 million Danish kroner for Africa in a televised Saturday-evening show at the end of January.

A string of well-known Danish artists came together at UNICEF's Supply Division Warehouse in Copenhagen to make their contributions to the entertainment at the large-scale fund-raising show staged by DR and TV2.

And the new UNICEF hot dog with tomato salsa, guacamole and red onions was an instant success.

On 15 April, the Graceland event centre in Randers finally opened its doors. Denmark's Biggest Barbecue was there to serve the new GØL Gourmet sausages to the hungry visitors.

On the menu were a number of 1950s bands, lots of impressive American cars and not least GØL's new exotic and Nordic sausages prepared on Denmark's Biggest Barbecue.

Silkeborg in central Jutland is not only famed for its canoe trips down the longest river in Denmark, Gudenåen - it is also the town to visit for the tastiest hot dog in the country. That is if the panel of judges at the Danish hot dog championships, which were held in September at Tivoli in Aarhus, are to be believed.

Gold went to Steff's Place dealer René Kristensen from Trianglens Pølsevogn in Silkeborg for a most tasty performance.

- It is a bit like reaching the finals in a sporting discipline, so of course I thought I could win, and actually doing so makes me feel extremely proud, and is something which nobody can take away from me, René Kristensen said after the victory.

The winning hot dog was a bratwurst served with, among other things, René Kristensen's unique soft-fried onions.

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Tulip is not ready to launch its very own vegetable bacon based on the raprarsiln plant. It was an April Fool's joke, with 'raprarsiln' being the jumbled letters of 'April Fool' in Danish.

Tulip's innovation department is working extremely hard to present new and innovative bacon products to consumers. However, news about the new vegetable bacon variant announced on 1 April was a prank.

On the other hand, the news that Tulip Bacon is behind Denmark's best new barbecue product in the form of two new barbecue bacon variants is absolutely true.

Danish Crown participated at the big French food fair Sirha in Lyons on 22-26 January. Here, many French and foreign representatives from the food-service sector metto hear about the latest food trends.

Danish Crown's stand was part of a large exhibition,where Denmark's Trade Council had gathered together a string of Danish food companies as part of a joint initiative.

Danish Crown presented products from its Gold Room in Kolding, which supplies meat to a wide range of Denmark's best restaurants as well as several foreign Michelin restaurants.

Spider steaks on the menu

Gold Room products included 'spider steaks' or 'araignée ifteck', a French speciality.

- A spider steak is the small circle of meat above the hump on a cow or calf's collarbone. It is a particularly prized cut in France, but we are also presenting pork jaws, veal tenderloin and veal sweetmeats from the Gold Room. It is all taking place on a stand where we have tried to create a  Relaxed and friendly atmosphere for visitors, said Project Coordinator Kirsten Meisner from Danish Crown's Communications Department.

The meat from Danish Crown's Gold Room was also used by three Nordic chefs who prepared food for people visiting the joint Sirha stand. Tulip Food Company was also there, displaying processed products from its Tender Pork range.

On 25 January, the Danish Crown stand was honoured with a royal visit. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie dropped by, together with the then Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Henrik Høegh, for refreshments and a talk about Danish Crown and the company's products with Karsten Deibjerg Kristensen, CEO of Danish Crown Nordic.

Szzzzch! It splutters and sizzles as the meat hits the six glowing-hot frying pans.
And the perfect smell of fried meat fills Ridehuset in central Aarhus. We are in
the Danish Crown kitchen, and the people wielding the pans are visitors to the My
Authentic Denmark (MAD) food fair.

- Isn't it just incredible! I've been cooking for years, and there is still something for me to learn, declared Lizzi, while keeping a keen eye on her meat and carefully following the instructions and advice dished out by Jytte Krebs, a member of DC's professional kitchen staff.

At one with your meat

- Our farmers produce absolutely excellent meat, but sometimes something happens between when it is produced and when itis served for supper, and usually it is the cook who is to blame, explained Jytte Krebs, adding:

- I have ruined so much meat in my life, but as from today it will never happen to you again! However, to succeed, it is incredibly important that you stay by the cooker and do not try to fold the washing at the same time.

Danish Crown's kitchen also attracted a lot of people at the national agricultural show in Herning in central Jutland. There was a frying workshop, and simmer food on the menu.

- This year, we decided to do summer simmer food. Simmer food has been out of fashion for a while, but some of these beautiful cuts still make delicious dishes. We selectedcuts which are particularly suited for summery dishes, explainsProject Coordinator Kirsten Meisner from Danish Crown's Communications Department.

- The other half of the kitchen was taken up by workshops on how to fry beef, veal and pork. Here, visitors could learn all about frying meat to tender and juicy perfection. It's always a hit with the visitors, says Kirsten Meisner.

Apart from the kitchen staff, Danish Crown's stand was manned by DC members who were eager to tell visitorsabout the company. The new couple in Danish showbiz - Danish Crown mascots Frida and Ferdinand - also dropped by to welcome adults and children.

- Our diners are served quality beef which is perfectly flavoured and tender.

This is how Café Victor's chef, Paulo Guimaraes, describes the steaks from Danish
Jersey short loin which the restaurant serves to its delighted guests every day.

And Café Victor's chef is not the only one who is aware of the excellent Danish Jersey meat.

Each week, Danish Crown selects 150 so-called 'pistols' of Danish Jersey for deboning at its facility in Skjern. From there, the pistols are dispatched to Inco for long-term maturing, before finally being supplied to a number of quality-conscious Danish restaurants.

- The pistol contains the very best cuts. When the Jersey cow is fattened, you end up with the most fantastic meat, which is tender and extremely tasty, explains Sales Manager Henning Sønnichsen from DC Beef.

- Jersey meat is a relatively unknown quantity among consumers in general, but the producthas been doing really well for a number of years, thanks to our collaboration with Inco. In fact, we feel it is a story which deserves to be told, says Henning Sønnichsen.

Walking through the Bilka hypermarket on the western outskirts of Aarhus, you notice a lot of signs suspended from the ceiling. But above the cold counters, one sign stands out a mile with its promise of Danish veal from Danish farms - Danish Veal.

Since the end of August, the special meat has been on sale in Føtex, and now it has also arrived at Bilka supermarkets with a different shop and recipe concept.

- Føtex and Bilka are giving DC Beef a fantastic chance to sell some of the very best that Danish Crown has to offer - Danish Veal. It is a unique opportunity for selling veal to Danish consumers, says Finn Klostermann, Sales Director at DC Beef.

The idea behind Danish Veal is to offer a unique product which guarantees a good culinary experience. This is achieved through the collaboration between Danish Crown, the retail trade and the farmers, who ensure a high level of animal welfare throughout the calves' lives.

Austria, the UK, Germany, the Nordic countries and now the Netherlands. The foodservice concept Tender Pork is making great strides across Europe. Lars Albertsen, Deputy Chief Executive in the UK, explains the success:

- Tender Pork is, quite simply, an outstanding product which tastes fantastic, and, thanks to the tender and unusual cuts we offer, fills a gap in the market. For example, we have just been added to the menu at two of the biggest gastropub chains in the UK, which serve both good beer and good food. You can now order bone-in pork chops or legs of pork with barbecue marinade, says Lars Albertsen.

Dutch interest.

Most recently, Dutch consumers have been introduced to Tender Pork, and here it looks as if another sales success is in the making, says Sales Manager Jacob Soegaard from the sales office in Germany:

- The products have been very well received, and we have high hopes for the Dutch market. Even though Tender Pork was originally developed for the Danish market, we are finding that the concept holds international appeal, says Jacob Soegaard.

Danish Crown's goal is to double exports of Tender Pork within the next three years.

Lots of mud, lots of smiles and lots of meat - that sums it up. The most beautiful festiva in Denmark, Smukfest in Skanderborg, has drawn to a close, and while dismantling the Pigsties and the Beef Saloon, the team can look back on quite a unique festival.

- Friday was UNICEF day, and we have never experienced such generosity. Also, we have never had such a big presence at the festival, this year with both the BaconBar and the Beef Saloon. We have been twice as many volunteers, and we have fed twice as many festival-goers, says Agnete Poulsen, head of Bacon.

Record sales in the BaconBar

On Friday, the Most Beautiful Pigsty in Denmark was clad in UNICEF blue, and just over 100,000 Danish kroner was raised for the organisation, which was far in excess of expectations. The same thing happened on Saturday, when the BaconBar served a record number of BaconBrunches.

Last year, we did 968 brunches on the Sunday - last Saturday, a record 1,189 brunches were served. The pressure on the kitchen was enormous, but it all went extremely well, says Agnete Poulsen.

In addition to the BaconBar, Danish Crown also cooked for 2,400 VIPs, laying on a delicious three-course meal in the white dome on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

DC Bef's first year

This year, festival-goers were offered primequality beef at DC Beef's Beef Saloon. And they took a keen liking to the Angry Ox and Pet Calf sandwiches.

- The festival-goers were extremely positive, so we are very pleased. It was a new venture for us, but it went really well and there was no end to the praise, says Finn Klostermann, Sales Director at DC Beef.

More than one tonne of meat was used to fill the more than 5,000 burgers sold. Sales culminated on Saturday with staff and equipment working to their absolute limit, producing more than one burger a minute.

- We will definitely be back next year, says Finn Klostermann.

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Frida the Happy Pig and Ferdinand the Young Bull both read the many applications from 1,000 hopeful bacon-lovers eager to join Danish Crown at Smukfest.

- I am absolutely thrilled that so many people want to stay with me at the Most Beautiful Pigsty. It is almost impossible to choose, oinked Frida, who was in the happiest of moods.

Some of the most creative included odes to bacon, a bacon skirt, new takes on Hans Christian Andersen's story about the Swineherd and other stories with happy endings.

- We are looking for a genuine beef and bacon-lover with a sense of fun who will win the right to stay in the last pigsty as well as two festival tickets. It won't be easy choosing between all these entries, said Ferdinand, adding that he was slightly disappointed by the little mention of beef.

Another competition was held for a combined prize of a pigsty and the popular barbecue range Grill'it. This attracted more than 10,000 entries.

"Even though I am quite an old pig, I am a happy pig with a curly tail and an appetite for porky festival life. The shelters look as if they have been built by Practical Pig and solid enough to keep both the wolf and swine flu out."

"Dear goddess of fortune, please pick me soon. Staying in a pigsty is so much less of a muddle than having to sleep in a muddy puddle. Throwing a party with FRIDA and FERDINAND would be yummy, like wonderful breakfast with bacon in my tummy."

"You organise the coolest events and are really good at innovating. The slaughterhouse business is often severely criticised and has a bad reputation - by being at Smukfest you create really positive vibes about your brand!"

"Love, love and more love! Before my boyfriend and I start living 100 km apart at the end of August, we hope to spend a fantastic week in the Most Beautiful Pigsty at the Most Beautiful Festival!".

"I deserve a pigsty because I simply love the cool combination of festival life and bacon at its best..."

- I simply don't know what to say. This is totally unexpected. Brian was totally overjoyed, said an emotional Jeanette Nielsen, when the Most Beautiful Pigsty telephoned her early one morning in August.

Out of 1,148 entries, her story about a man who always helps others without asking for anything in return was picked as the winner. And Danish Crown's prize was a stay in the pigsty, two festival tickets and BaconBrunch in bed.

- It is really hard giving Brian anything because he never expects anything in return. When I ask him what he would like, he always says: "I have everything I could possibly want," said Jeanette Nielsen. However, two years ago, she came across something he really wanted.

- We were at the festival and walked past the pigsty. He suddenly said that he would love to stay there, so now he can finally be given something which he will really treasure, said a joyful Jeanette Nielsen.

- Oh, what fun! Did you see Frida giving Harry a good bashing just then?

Frida the Happy Pig and DSB Harry are having a go on the dodgems at Tivoli in Aarhus where all sorts of mascots from Danish companies and organisations are meeting up for a weekend of fun.

And, of course, Danish Crown's Frida is there with Ferdinand the Young Bull.

- They have tremendous communicative value. With Ferdinand and Frida, we can show up and make people smile in the most unexpected situations, for example when the Prince Consort visits the most modern slaughterhouse in the world, or with the children at Tivoli. It is our way of showing that big companies also like having fun, says Anne Villemoes.

We love hugging.

For five years, Frida the Happy Pig - Danish Crown's first mascot - has been charming and hugging Danish consumers. Not so long ago she was joined by Ferdinand the Young Bull.

- We meet consumers with a twinkle in our eye and are able to show a different side to our business, says Anne Villemoes, Danish Crown's Director of Corporate Communications.

In June, Danish Crown's mascot hit the magical 500 friends on Facebook.

- I am just thrilled to be friends with so many wonderful people. I am particularly pleased when they tag me in photos from Smukfest, where I go dancing every year, says a happy Frida.

Ferdinand not far behind

The DC Beef bull Ferdinand is also on Facebook. In less than a month, 159 people signed up to be friends with the chunky fellow.

- Ferdinand is my best friend. He is so muscular, I can easily understand why so many want to be friends with him. He's such a hunk, sighs Frida.

On a cold Friday in central Copenhagen, a festivalsite was created complete with plastic beech trees, green sausages and music. And no festival without Danish Crown, which had brought both a soup kitchen and a sausage stand to the capital.

Together with the P3 radio channel, Danish Crown was fund-raising for Danmarks Indsamling, which this year supports young people in Africa. For one Danish krone, people could buy a green sausage or a cup of pumpkin soup, while anything paid on top was donated to young people in Africa.

- I am a student, and I donated 50 kroner, but I would have liked to have given more, says one young man with a smile and half a sausage in his mouth.

The charity show Danmarks Indsamling in January raised more than 87 million Danish kroner for young people in Africa, and Danish Crown also noticed the Danes' eagerness to support a good cause.

The auctioning at lauritz.com of 18 shelters from the Most Beautiful Pigsty raised 161,500 Danish kroner for the charity show, well above last year's result of 126,960 kroner.

"Bacon against hunger. Buy bacon brunch for a good cause", announced the stand-up comedian sebastian Dorset on Friday morning as he woke the pigsty dwellers, accompanied by mek pek and his trumpet.

And a blue trumpet at that, to highlight the fact that Friday's revenue from the BaconBar is being donated in support of UNICEF's work in the karamoja province in uganda.

And even though it was mostly for fun that the people staying in the pigsty and elsewhere in the camp were woken by the two UNICEF ambassadors together with Danish Crown mascots Frida and Ferdinand, sebastian Dorset is confident that the funds raised will make a difference in Africa.

- For every bacon brunch served, we can feed 40 children, so there is every reason to tuck in with a clean conscience, he explained, as people emerged from the shelters having been roused by the trumpet and showered with hugs from Frida and Ferdinand.

The event in skanderborg is part of the UNICEF City randers 2011 activities organised by the municipality to raise money for the karamoja province in uganda.

Thirty-two people can squeeze into a pigsty shelter - at least if it's to support a good cause. On the same day, the most Beautiful pigsty tested how many people can fit into a pigsty shelter, donating 1,000 Danish kroner for each person who squeezed in. In this way, festival-goers not suffering from claustrophobia were able to do their bit for UNICEF.

Children's television presenters Anders and katrine made their shelter available for the event, with UNICEF ambassador sebastian Dorset helping to push as many people in as possible.

- Come on, there is plenty of space for more, said person no. 18 - and there was ... 32 people fitted in, giving 32,000 Danish kroner.

All in all, the proud BaconBar team raised just over 100,000 Danish kroner that Friday.

As the Danish National BBq Team got going at Weber camp 2011, it was with delicious beef from Danish Crown on the barbecues. Danish Crown is the main sponsor of the popular event, which each year draws increasing numbers of barbecue enthusiasts to give in central Jutland for the biggest barbecue event in Denmark.

- Weber camp attracts a lot of meat-loving barbecue enthusiasts. It is an excellent chance to promote our brand to an attractive target group, explains klaus Tonny Hansen, product manager at DC Beef.

Red sausages were served on board the royal yacht after the prince Consort's visit to the Danish Crown slaughterhouse in Horsens. knud the Hot Dog man in Horsens took on a job slightly out of the ordinary when he was asked to deliver red sausages to the royal yacht Dannebrog. Escorted by the police, he immediately set off for the harbour bearing the best sausages in Denmark.r blev spist røde pølser på kongeskibet, da prins Henrik havde besøgt Danish Crowns slagteri i Horsens. Knud "Pølsemand" i Horsens fik en lidt speciel opgave fredag den 27. maj, hvor han påtog sig opgaven at levere røde pølser til Kongeskibet. under politibevogtning kørte han straks ned til havnen og leverede Danmarks bedste pølser til kongeskibet.

In the first week of the year, deliveries from Tulip in Esbjerg were up 60pc on a normal week.

This exceeds Tulip's previous record by more than 300 tonnes, and the week's production of soups and minced-meat soup balls filled more than 50 lorries to the brim.

An amazing feat made possible only by first-class collaboration between all Tulip departments.

If you want to celebrate Christmas in true Danish style, the roast pork, Cumberland sausage, tenderloin and all the other Christmas classics must, of course, be 100% Danish. That was the message of a large-scale Christmas campaign launched by Danish Crown in November 2010. The campaign targeted a broad range of consumers with spots on the channels Tv2 and Tv3 and on a number of radio stations nationwide. Also, banner ads on some of the most popular websites in Denmark and full-page ads and competitions in popular women's magazines were part of the campaign.

This year Tulip was ready to serve watercress soup to concert-goers at the green concerts.

- In the past, we have launched green sausages, but this year's innovation was green soup as a new, extremely tasty and healthier alternative to the conventional concert grub. In addition to presenting a brand new product, the idea was, of course, also to show consumers that fast food is much more than sausages and burgers, and I'm sure that many concert-goers were pleasantly surprised, says morten Christensen, sub Category manager at Tulip. 

Bornholmergrisen played a key role when four of Denmark's best chefs competed at the 'sun over gudhjem' event on the island of Bornholm in June. Danish Crown was the main sponsor of the event, with the chefs having to use meat from Bornholmergrisen for the main course to prove their skills.

The winner was Jesper kirketerp from restaurant geranium who, among other things, created the dish 'summer pork from Bornholm with beach, smoke, elder and asparagus'.

Danish Crown supplies a string of the best restaurants in Denmark. In march, Danish
Crown proudly presented the five most recent additions to its star route of the
very best gourmet restaurants in Denmark on its website. The restaurants were
restaurant AOC/aarø & co, restaurant Orangeriet, grønbech & Churchill, raadvad
kro and restaurant karoline Amalie.

On 1 February, Danish viewers were given a glimpse of Tulip's sausage and salami
production as the company's International sales Director René M. Olsen went undercover in the undercover Boss programme broadcast by Dr1.

Tulip bacon hits on Facebook. That was the conclusion after 10,000 Danes signed
up on the Tulip bacon page in just over two months.

Of these, 62pc were women, and Junior Brand manager Eli lundberg Thomassen is pleased that the many fans have been both loyal and active on the page.

- It is not just about getting a lot of fans, but about holding on to them. generally speaking, very few people have deregistered for Tulip Bacon news, and every time we post something on the wall, more than 100 consumers tick the 'like' button, says Eli lundberg Thomassen.

In particular, the competitions are popular, but Tulip's April Fool joke about the launch of vegetable bacon also generated a marked increase in visitor numbers, with many people clicking on tulip.dk, which had eight times as many hits as normal.

On Wednesday 1 June, Rasmus Kofoed was selected 'Chef of the Chefs' (or Kokkenes Kok) at a fund-raising event at Restaurant Koch in Aarhus.

Chef of the Chefs is a title bestowed by Danish chefs as a mark of respect on a colleague who has made a special contribution to Danish gastronomy.

- Through his fantastic gastronomic achievements, Rasmus is a big role model for young Danish chefs, and all of us have every reason to be proud and impressed with his gastronomic skills and qualities, concluded the panel of judges in selecting Rasmus Kofoed.

This is the ninth time that the award hasbeen presented. The Fund for the Promotion of Danish gastronomy, which was formed on the initiative of a number of leading chefs and Danish Crown, is behind the award.

A proud and happy Rasmus Kofoed acknowledged the accolade.

- This award will be put on display as it means a great deal to me, said Rasmus Kofoed at the awards ceremony.

FUND BEHIND THE AWARD

Karsten Deibjerg Kristensen, CEO of Danish Crown Nordic and vice-chair of the Fund for the Promotion of Danish gastronomy, and then Mayor of Aarhus Nicolai Wammen presented the award to Rasmus Kofoed.

For the first time ever, a Dane can call himself the world's best chef. After his third attempt in January, Rasmus Kofoed won the unofficial world championship for chefs, the Bocuse d'Or in Lyons, France.

The victory was won after a convincing performance by the Danish master chef, with his meat dish in particular proving a hit with the panel of judges, which included the Dane Jacob de Neergaard, head chef at Søllerød Kro.

- Rasmus has, quite simply, delivered an exceptional performance. He has spent many years and thousands of hours training for thisevent, and his victory today was very welldeserved, said Jacob de Neergaard.

Solid Danish support.

Danish Crown backed Rasmus Kofoed's participation in Bocuse d'Or as sponsor.

Many Danish families lead extremely busy lives, juggling work, children and leisure-time pursuits, while at the same time wanting both children and grown-ups to eat proper suppers.

Therefore, Tulip is now launching a range of meat rissoles, Cumberland sausage and greek meatballs which only need heating before serving. With these products, Tulip also wants to challenge the Danes' sceptical approach to convenience food.

- We know that many consumers believe that ready-made meals are full of additives. It has therefore been very important for us to prepare the food in exactly the same way that consumers would normally do. This means that the products are based on well-known and tested recipes, explains sub Category manager morten Christensen from Tulip.

Tulip has launched a number of exciting products which unite Nordic open sandwiches with southern European tapas traditions.

Rolled pork roast with lovage and leeks, beef top round with juniper berries and ham lightly smoked over beech wood. These are three new products in a popular series now being launched by Tulip which are inspired by southern European tapas.

- The southern Europeans have some wonderful traditions, which the Danes have embraced with open arms. We have therefore developed a number of new tapas products based on delicious Nordic ingredients and herbs. The result is a tasty combination of southerly lightness with traditional Nordic foods, explains lotte simonsen, Category manager at Tulip.

At the end of a busy week, Nordic tapas is perfect for a light and delicious evening meal at the weekend.

- We have taken a good look at Nordic cuisine, which is currently enjoying a revival. At the same time, a survey which we have conducted shows that 23pc of Danes eat a cold meal in the evening. We would like to cater for them with our new products, says lotte simonsen.

Huge cows and quality steaks were in store for Anne kejser, a former Dancing with the stars contestant and currently a presenter with the ANR radio station in Aalborg, as she arrived at Danish Crown's cattle slaughterhouse in Aalborg one Friday morning in January.

The local radio station had been campaigning all week to get listeners to support the Danish red Cross youth organisation and its work for children and young people in northern Jutland. Together with geo, a Danish stand-up comedian, and Niarn, a Danish rapper, Anne kejser had volunteered to donate her time. A joke about Niarn's ignorance about meat led to Danish Crown joining in the fun to explain where the good meat comes from, and Anne kejser immediately seized the opportunity.

CarCass split in two

At the slaughterhouse, she first had to saw a carcass in two, assisted by the usual saw handler michael Henriksen. she enthusiastically threw herself into the job, but afterwards was forced to admit that it was harder than it looked. she then proceeded to the deboning department to have a go at cutting short loin steaks.

- It looks easy as pie, and it is so impressive how they do it. I probably felt slightly pressurised by the fact that everybody is on piecework contracts. I'm afraid I probably slowed them all down a bit, she said afterwards, smiling apologetically.

In return for her efforts, Anne kejser took home her own steaks, while the Danish red Cross youth organisation received a donation of Dkk 5,000 from Danish Crown. so far, the campaign has raised Dkk 258,000 for the excellent cause.

Wagyu is the name of the finest and most expensive beef from the Japanese cattle breed of the same name. The meat is better known as kobe meat, and between Christmas and New year, customers were for the first time able to buy Danish-produced wagyu meat at the supermarket - and they did.

Friland is behind the first pure-bred wagyu production in Denmark. In spring, the first animal slaughtered was sold to restaurant umami in Copenhagen, while the second animal slaughtered went to the superBest supermarket in Hadsten in East Jutland and to the miklagardur supermarket in Thorshavn on the Faroe Islands.

In both supermarkets, the wagyu meat caused a real stir and sold like hot cakes. shoppers were simply crazy about the exclusive meat.

Everything is ready. The table has been beautifully laid, candles lit and delicious ingredients lined up. And then, a slight distraction, and the sauce burns and the whole meal is ruined.

Danish Crown has launched the 'stjernekokken', or 'star chef' label, which is designed to bring the gourmet restaurant experience reliably and effortlessly into people's homes, minimising the risk of any 'hitches' in the kitchen.

Irma First

Irma is the first supermarket to introduce the 'stjernekokken' label with carré of pork cut into chops with steamed pointed cabbage and sauce blanquette with smoked cheese. Other retail chains will soon be launching their own special recipe developed by Danish Crown's three star chefs.

The three star chefs are Thomas Pasfall, Kenneth Hansen and Francis Cardenau.

They have combined their very best ideas to create a number of unique products based on high-quality fresh pork and a gourmet sauce, adding a recipe and a shopping list.

In developing the 'stjernekokken' label, Francis Cardenau says:

-We want to help draw attention to Danish gastronomy by offering new categories of fine ingredients to Danish consumers. We are therefore keen to develop professional products from scratch which can help consumers succeed in the kitchen.

There was something for every taste when Danish Crown's professional cooks took to their pans at the large food fair in Bella Center in Copenhagen one sunday morning.

Here, the many visitors could sample a new series of organic products, including brunch sausages and bacon sold under the Friland brand.

- The demand for organic products is growing, and it is therefore natural for us to develop new products to provide our customers with a wider choice, says food-service consultant Jesper Eggert.

Another product launched at the Bella Center fair is a new porchetta made from belly of pork and herb-salted loin fillet with rosemary, thyme and pepper.

Svend Erik Sørensen knows a thing or two about meat. He also knows pretty well everything there is to know about the slaughterhouse company Danish Crown, where he has been since 1990, since 1999 as vice president. He has been the brain behind six strategy plans, and in June 2011 Svend Erik Sørensen decided to start working normal hours.

Lorenz Hansen understands beef, and has an eye for spotting top-class quality. He is also Division Director of DC Beef, a position he has held since 1987. Today, DC Beef slaughters 63pc of Danish cattle, and at the end of 2010/11 set a new slaughter record. In the coming years, Lorenz Hansen is likely to be busy, building a new cattle slaughterhouse in Denmark. 

Flemming Enevoldsenis the man behind the best globetrotter - since he started as an apprentice at the East Asiatic Company in 1980, he has lived and worked in a string of countries worldwide. Flemming Enevoldsen was appointed CEO of Tulip Food Company and became a member of Danish Crown's group management team in 2006, and today he is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tulip ltd, Plumrose USA and ESS-Food.

Preben Sunke has handled money and finances most of his life. He joined the Danish Crown group as finance manager in Tulip in 1991, and since 2001 he has been CFO of Danish Crown. 

Kjeld Johannesen has, since 1990, been CEO of Danish Crown. He started his career as an office trainee at Sydthy Cooperative Slaughterhouse in 1971. Kjeld Johannesen has been a driving force behind a number of the mergers which have resulted in the establishment of Europe's biggest pig slaughterhouse business, and he continues to drive the implementation of new strategies. 

Niels Mikkelsen is a sober-minded Jutlander. However, he is also a farmer with clout, and a man who is greatly respected in both Danish agriculture and Danish business circles. For thirteen years he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Danish Crown, concurrently with being Deputy Chairman of the Danish Bacon and Meat Council, as well as holding several honorary offices in the industry and the group.