Kwality Wall's introduces Viennetta Cappuccino Nut

Company press release, June 13, 2002

New Delhi

After the successful introduction on the world's favourite dessert - Viennetta in vanilla and chocolate variants last year, Kwality Wall's now presents a never before innovation in Viennetta with the launch of the exquisite Viennetta Cappuccino Nut to offer the finest dessert experience.

Kwality Wall's Viennetta, often called the 'champagne of desserts' enjoys unsurpassed adulation both from the connoisseur as well as an ordinary consumer. A fabulous treat to the senses, its visual appeal is only surpassed by its delightful play on the taste buds.

The Viennetta Cappuccino Nut offers a unique coffee and chocolate combination that is perfect as an after dinner dessert. For the first time ever, the Viennetta Cappuccino Nut comes with a generous topping of cashewnuts, an innovation that has never been attempted in any part of the world.

As part of the launch initiative, Kwality Wall's conducted a five city exclusive sampling at select Barista outlets on Friday, June 13 where against every regular order, consumers got to sample slices of the Viennetta Cappuccino Nut. In Delhi, the Baristas' at Connaught Place and Defence Colony, that serve as a haven for coffee lovers, were the perfect venues for the Viennetta sampling exercise as consumers discovered yet another delicious way to enjoy their favourite cappuccino flavour.

However, between an inspired product development manager, Kevin Hillman at Wall's Ice cream, to a delighted Viennetta consumer in India, hangs quite a tale.

In December 1980, Kevin Hillman gave his wife a cookery book for Christmas. While he was looking through it, a French recipe for the time honoured ' millefeuille cake'caught his eye. A true visionary, in the 'thousand thin leaves' of puff pastry he saw, not cream and jam, but a cake consisting of layers of ice cream alternated with strata of chocolate. His flash of inspiration was to result in one of the major innovations in the modern ice cream industry.

Between the dream and the realization however stood the impediments of technology. Not one of the world's ice cream machines was capable of producing anything that would come close to producing Hillman's idea. This was when Wall's development team set to work in a small trial plant in the company's factory complex in Gloucester.

After 3 hard years of hard labour that went into giving shape to Hillman's magnificent obsession, the Viennetta was born. A marvelous 'piece of lace work's as it came to be called, the 600cc gateau consisted of twelve layers of vanilla ice cream, interleaved with paper thin layers of chocolate in a unique crackling texture with a distinctive wavy pattern named the 'Frans Hals collar'. Originally introduced as a Christmas present in the year 1982, the wild enthusiasm over the product ensured it continued as a year- round brand. 20 million Viennettas were sold in its first year in Germany and Belgium with it becoming a major success in most markets.

Kevin Hillman retired in 2001, after leading the Kwality Wall's development team at HLRC Bangalore for the last 6 years.

Viennetta Vanilla was first introduced to the Indian consumer in 1999, when it was imported from Turkey and sold in the Kwality Walls International outlets and has already gained a loyal following among the discerning consumer. Encouraged by its success, Kwality Wall's started manufacturing it in India in 2002 and soon introduced the chocolate variant in its key markets.

The huge success of the first Viennetta variant, coupled with Kwality Wall's introduction of its second chocolate variant in the same range, is ample proof that high quality, premium ice cream and desserts are here to stay. Kwality Wall's is the market leader due to its uncompromising commitment to bring its consumers the widest range in ice creams and desserts that cater to every palette as well as every price point.

About Kwality Wall's

Kwality Wall's, a brand of Hindustan Lever Ltd., currently commands a market share of more than 50% of the organised Indian ice - cream sector. Kwality wall's has combined the state- of - the - art technical know- how of Unilever - the global leader in ice cream products- with a deep insight of the Indian market, to deliver a range of superior quality products under its international brands. It has recently revamped its complete brand portfolio and brand proposition in line with HLL's brand focus exercise. The essence is captured in the new baseline ' Ho jaaye Dil ka Connection…' a proposition which captures the fun of bonding between families and friends.

For further information:

Abhishek Mahapatra

IPAN

Tel: 233 26200

email: abhishek@ipan.com