Anchored in Reunion heritage, Piton des Neiges celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. On this occasion, the brand reaffirms its belonging to the terroir and local history, with new packaging and revisited recipes.
The oldest no doubt remember it… To consume yogurt in the 60s in Reunion, we had to rely on cargo planes ! More, in 1962, a handful of dairy farmers grouped into a cooperative, SICA Milk, launches local yogurt production, handcrafted with good milk from Hauts. The challenge ? Make the consumption of dairy products accessible to as many people as possible and develop the island’s food autonomy. This is how Piton des Neiges was born at an altitude of 1400 m., to the plain of the Kaffirs. At that time, the brand only has two references in its range, both packaged in glass jars. One with cane sugar, the other with Bourbon vanilla. The brand's first logo, Reunion Island by essence, evening a hortensia. Adorned with its purple hues, roses, blue or white, the hydrangea enchants the landscapes of the heights of Reunion. Particularly emblematic of the Hauts, It is quite natural that this multi-colored flower is associated by the Reunion dairy cooperative with its local production project..
The Piton des Neiges hydrangea is making a comeback on packaging
According to developments, hydrangea disappears from packaging and marketing materials. More, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Piton des Neiges, la Cilam, who has owned the brand since 1972, decided to reintroduce it at the heart of a redesigned graphic charter to highlight essential references (nature, sweet nature, Vanilla bourbon, white cheese) and the history of the brand. On these new packaging, the Reunion consumer can also discover the faces of some of the 85 Sicalait producers. Committed to its breeders, Piton des Neiges wanted to mark the occasion and highlight these anonymous Reunion Islanders who work daily to supply the Saint-Pierre dairy with fresh milk.. Main industrial site of Cilam, this production site is installed on five hectares, near dairy farming areas located at an altitude of around 1,300 m on the Cafres plain. Equipped with more than 10 manufacturing lines, it supplies the 125 large and medium-sized stores on the island every day. On the occasion of his birthday, Piton des Neiges therefore recalled and reaffirmed the relevance of its original values : “Societal commitment, Proximity, Traceability and of course Quality ! »
A new flavored range
It is in this constant qualitative research that the recipes of the firm yogurt range have been revisited., from the essential ingredients that have made the reputation and success of Piton des Neiges : fresh milk from the Hauts, enough brown sugar, and a sweet ferment, slightly tangy, for unrivaled texture, both firm and tender . But a surprise also awaits consumers in the fresh section… A brand new Piton des Neiges flavored range has been designed to “highlight” pei flavors.. Au menu : Passion and Geranium, Tangerine and Hibiscus.
La Cilam, first agro-industrial group in Reunion
Cilam now manufactures nearly 500 product references and markets the Yoplait brands., Piton des Neiges, Candia, Lovelac, many, Diego, Creole Caress, Australine et Pilpa. Founded in 1964 thanks to support from public authorities, Cilam began its activities with a line of sterilized milk, distributed in school canteens. From 1967, it forms a strong partnership with the local dairy cooperative, has since become its majority shareholder. Over the years, the company has continued to open up to new activities and cultivate its reason for being : feed the population of Reunion and contribute, based on a cooperative model, to the development of the milk sector. Et, fact, to the development of the Reunion territory. The dairy farms of Reunion Island have managed to maintain a family character, where breeding and environmental preservation combine with nature. Every day of the week, Sicalait collects their milk from farms, after quality control. The milk is then sent to the Saint-Pierre dairy. Upon arrival, its composition and quality will be checked again.. The Hauts milk will simply be pasteurized and added with yogurt ferments.. The history of Cilam is thus that of a human adventure where a few enthusiasts, through courage and audacity, built an agricultural and industrial complex which today represents 450 employees, 80,000 tonnes of products produced per year, 90 million euros in turnover in 2020, 6 million liters of milk collected from 67 dairy farms.
