Serving the Horeca Industry – Vivian Corporation
Malta Chefs Society
November 16, 2019
Fine Wines with Personality
November 16, 2019Founded in 1952 by a young pharmacist by the name of Wilfred Gatt, Vivian was named in honour of the founder’s late brother who passed away at a young age. Today, Vivian is an extended family of over 100 people.
We met Benji Gatt – third generation family member, who in his various roles in Business Development and Sales & Marketing, links the Company’s growth in recent years to the origins initiated by his grandfather.
“Wilfred was a pharmacist by profession - so Vivian Corporation started off as a healthcare oriented company, which constitutes 70 percent of all operations today,” Benji tells Horeca Malta. As years went by, Wilfred, together with his children, developed and diversified the business further. Vivian ventured into the food market with world renowned brands like Plasmon and Misura.
Other brands soon followed – Cirio, Riso Scotti, Bi-Aglut and more – all considered as household names in the local consumer market. For the past decade, Benji has been responsible for the growth of the Food & Beverage sector with an emphasis on Horeca products. “We started with a modest number of clients. Over the years we increased and enhanced our product portfolio for the Catering industry,” Benji recounts. 2012 saw the launch of what Benji calls his baby – the Wines and Spirits division. Having a strong personal passion towards wines, and with a distribution channel already in place, Benji felt this was the next natural step forward as part of the company’s drive to expand further. Over the last seven years Vivian continued to invest, seeing the Horeca client base increase significantly.
Sourcing wines from the most important and acknowledged regions in Italy and other countries around the world, together with a range of small batch production spirits, has helped the company earn recognition among key people including hotel and restaurant owners, purchasing managers and sommeliers. Some of the prestigious brands are Villa Sandi Prosecco, Rocca delle Macie, Marques de Murrieta, Mezzacorona, Schiopetto, Francois Lurton, Lucien Lurton et Fils, Dingle Gin, Ha’Penny, Hedonist... “We create our own events which are great for product launches, tasting and networking,” explains Benji. Moreover, the staff undergo constant training to gain accreditation and remain up to speed with all product and industry updates and innovations. Most importantly, the company goes the extra mile to ensure they only import top quality and award-winning brands. “I look for a product which has a story behind the label” Benji claims. With so many similar products already available on the market, it is crucial to source a brand which has an engaging background to help it stand out.
Benji tells us that the immediate term goal is to continue strengthen Vivian’s presence and reach in the HoReCa industry with the impressive brand and product line up. Understanding and satisfying our clients’ needs whilst maintaining a service which is second to none.
To get to know more about Vivian’s range of products available for the Horeca market, please visit www.viviancorp.com or call on (356) 2258 8600.
