Manufacturing Popcorn for Europe´s Top Brands

Hopi Popi manufactures microwave popcorn and popped popcorn in one factory located in Olomouc, The Czech Republic. We manufacture mostly for so-called private label customers who place their own names on our products. Our microwave and popped popcorn can be bought under the names of many of Europe's most trusted brands, for example in The UK, Scandinavia, Poland, Croatia and beyond. (You can even find our popcorn in The United States.) The fact that these companies trust us to put their names on our products is a responsibility we take very seriously.

We have two types of customers. First, snack companies with a broad portfolio of chips or nut products who carrry popcorn in their assortment; secondly, there are well known retailers who seek to build their own brands of snacks as well. Both of these customers, just like the consumers they serve, require a high quality product at a low price.

They also need to increase their sales. Our firm belief is that popcorn requires promotion. Popcorn means fun, and with a name like Hopi Popi, how can we not have fun :-). We develop promotional concepts for sporting events or holidays that increase sales. Cinnamon popcorn for Christmas? Caramel microwave popcorn for Halloween? The spiciest popcorn in Europe (perhaps the world) for Barbecue season? We are prepared to launch these for our customers' promotions in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter or for Football, hockey, or rugby.

Popcorn is associated with the cinema, carnivals, and fun but it actually was born in nature. Grown by Indians throughout the Americas long before European settlers even set foot on the new continent, there is no need to process popcorn. It simply must be grown, harvested, and stored with care to ensure the crucial moisture inside the kernel is maintained at the magic number of 12-14%. (Otherwise it will not pop). Popcorn is a whole grain, rich in fibre.

It is, however, served most often, with oils, salts, and sugars. We cannot change the taste requirements of consumers, but what we can do is improve the oils we use. We have replaced palm oil - which is high in saturated fats - in our microwave popcorn with a blend of rapeseed and coconut oils. The rapeseed is grown within minutes from our factory, here in Olomouc, the Czech Republic. In comparison to palm oil, this blend decreases the saturated fat content by 40% without increasing the cost. We have developed both organic microwave popcorn and organic ready to eat popcorn. Our organic microwave popcorn is available in coconut oil. Our organic ready to eat popcorn is available with a whole range of other organic ingredients that compliment the popcorn.

Our company started twenty four years ago when two teachers introduced popcorn in Czechoslovakia traveling the country in a tipi showing people the magic of popcorn. We still take pleasure and pride in finding ways to bring popcorn into the spotlight and return its natural healthiness.