There are weeks when everything happens at the same time. Deadlines chase each other, our heads are full. And that's exactly when these encounters happen that briefly get you out of the hamster wheel - because they remind us why we do this job.
That's how I felt last week in Hamburg. The Italian manufacturer staged a small but impressive dinner there - with light, sound and a stage for something that seems simple at first glance: tomatoes. And yet it was far more than just a product show. It was a lesson in how to turn a staple food into a brand that touches people. A love brand that has built trust: through genuine storytelling, through respectful treatment of producers, through sustainability - visible, for example, with the "Golden Tomato", which Mutti awards to the best farmers at the end of each harvest.
Why am I telling you this? Because it's good news. And because it shows that even in a market where we often drive a hard bargain, other paths are possible. Ways that create added value - for consumers, for partners, for an entire category. Mutti has grown enormously in recent years. Not because tomatoes have suddenly become sexy, but because people realise when brands are honest. Then they don't just buy a product, but a piece of conviction - and perhaps even a little pride.
The evening was also special for us because Mutti has been an integral part of our product range for years. Our partnership is based on what counts in everyday life: Reliability, trust and the will to move forward together. Especially in times when so much is fleeting.
And that brings me to what I am particularly concerned with at the moment: Our industry thrives on people. Connections that are not just made in calls, but at tables, in halls, in real conversations. At trade fairs like Anuga, at industry evenings, sometimes between door and door. When I look back, it's not the perfectly timed processes that I remember, but the contacts that sometimes even turn into friendships. "Once food, always food", they say - and that's true, because you don't just understand this world, you can feel it. You can smell, taste and touch it. Emotions are not an "add-on", but the core of our business.
Of course, not everything is easy. Supply chains have to become more robust, major customers have higher demands, sustainability is no longer a buzzword but a tough expectation. But I sense that we are continuing to develop. We are learning, we are investing, we are looking for solutions - in the industry, in wholesale, in catering and in our team at Paul M. Müller.
So what am I taking with me into these pre-Christmas weeks? Above all, confidence. And the wish that we don't lose sight of the human element - neither in business nor in our dealings with one another. With good thoughts and full of optimism for the new year, I wish you and your families a wonderful, peaceful pre-Christmas period, a relaxing festive season and only the best for 2026.
Sincerely,
Yours, Thomas Schneidawind
