Globalizing age-old brands of Turkey

SÜMEYRA YARIŞ TOPAL / ISTANBUL COMMERCE

Some operate in the food industry, some in advertising...There are some who continue to serve the mist of coffee through the centuries, and some others who have yet to close down the notebooks opened ages ago. They are the centennial brands of Turkey. They serve in many sectors, from food to transportation, advertisement to printing, cosmetics to watch making. Many are essentially family brands, and help pass a cultural legacy built through combining the honesty of Turkish family structure with an awareness of social responsibility, down to future generations.

DELIGHTS ENJOYED BY SULTAN ABDÜLHAMID

Since 1777, one of the oldest brands of Turkey, Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir is the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of 'Turkish delight'. Sugar candies, Turkish delights and syrups, all of which are musts of ancient Turkish cuisine, are on offer at the Firm's original store at Eminönü, Istanbul, which is virtually a living museum. The founder of the firm, Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir opened a small store at Eminönü, Bahçekapı in 1777, and began to produce candy and sweets with a small oven at the back. In the journey that began centuries ago, Hacı Bekir continues to try distinct tastes and offer them to the people of Istanbul. His rose and cinnamon flavored delights make him famous at a scale where Sultan Abdülhamid I hears about him, and makes him the Candy Master of the palace, with the brand Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir. One of the most important elements which contributed to the continued success of such an ancient brand lies in the production traditions which do not concede at all in terms of traditional tastes and quality. The ages old brand, which became a symbol of Istanbul, continues to offer varieties of delights, halva, jams, various pastes, and syrups to its customers.

CENTENNIAL MISTS OF COFFEE

The century-old Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi, which is almost synonymous with Turkish culture, is the must-have of any guest accommodation ceremony. The story of Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi begins in 1871, at Eminönü Tahmis Sokak, where the business still operates, offering the best of Turkish coffee to Istanbul, Turkey, and the wider world. Istanbul, the heart of the empire, was full of coffee shops back then, but those shops all offered raw coffee, as it was imported from Yemen. In other words, the coffee sold at the stores needed further roasting and grounding to make it drinkable. One of the coffee merchants, Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi achieves a first in Istanbul and begins to offer the ready-to-cook fresh-roasted and ground coffee to make the life easier for his customers. This achievement was crucial for the day, and can be considered the official birthday of 'Turkish Coffee' as an indispensable element of the global coffee scene. It also gave Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi a strong brand name to last for centuries. The scent of coffee from Eminönü Tahmis Sokak, as it first rose back in the day, is still there for the coffee-lovers to enjoy.

134 YEARS OF RESPECT AND PATIENCE

Another unforgettable taste of Turkish cuisine, güllaç, is produced since 1881 under the brand Saffet Abdullah. The phyllo for the light dessert made by putting rose water on wafers of corn starch and water, have been produced under the brand Saffet Abdullah for 134 years, and is enjoyed by Istanbulites as well as the rest of the world. Abdullah Efendi, who migrated from Crimea to Istanbul, began to produce the phyllo for güllaç at a workshop, rather than the usual practice of the day –at home. The phyllo produced by Abdullah Efendi are so thin, that they are almost transparent. The phyllo receives great acclaim all over Istanbul, and its popularity reaches to Anatolia as well. Today the centennial brand is managed by the third and fourth generations, and has been able to survive the test of centuries thanks to 'patience and respect for our workers' as the fourth generation representative of the firm, Erdal Arseven puts it. The güllaç phyllo, one of the household elements of traditional Turkish cuisine, is produced for centuries, with the same level of devotion, under the brand Saffet Abdullah.

123 YEARS OLD NOTEBOOK

In the days when to-do lists were noted on notebooks, using paper and pen, rather than smart phones as we do today, Mehmet Sadık Efendi turned the page for Ece Planners. In 1892, 14 years old Mehmet Sadık Efendi opens a notebook shop named Afitap at Beyazıt, known for bookshops. His planners made in Istanbul bring him fame all over the empire in short order. For long years the notebooks and diaries, large and small, are produced under the brand Afitap, only to be renamed Ece after some years. The Ece brand which produces planners to keep the most private of notes, is now managed by the fourth generation of the family. The strength of the pages of this centennial book owes to 'offering products for the future, without severing ties with the past', as the management of the firm puts it. The integrity of the family was the most important factor in making the brand such an unforgettable one, and was achieved through the holidays which brought all
members of the family together.

CENTENNIAL NAMES ON DIGITAL MEDIA

The traditional brands, most of which are owned by family businesses, share a common characteristic: They engage in modern production by maintaining the element of patience and respect in Turkish family structure. The age old brands some of which have come together under the Centennial Brands Association, are now meeting those who seek quality, through the 'Digital Platform of Centennial Brands'. A smart phone app shows tens of centennial brands such as Komili, Güllüoğlu, Tevfik Aydın Saat, Cemilzade, Eyüp Sabri Tuncer, and Koska on a map.

THE BRAND WHICH EARNED THE ‘VEFA (FIDELITY)’ OF THE YEARS

Sadık Vefa began his journey as an apprentice at a boza shop in 1870. In 1876 he opens the first true boza business of the world, Vefa Boza. The firm have been operating as a family firm through the centuries, and now the fourth generation is at the helm. The centennial brand still serves at the 139 years old shop, using century-old items.

DELIGHTS MADE SWEETER WITH THE LOVE OF LUTE

Cemilzade is one of the oldest delight producers of Turkey. It was established in 1883 by Lute Master Cemil Bey, one of the household names of Classical Turkish Music. The ageless brand which produces traditional Turkish tastes such as delights, almond pastes, and syrups, is now being managed by the fourth generation of the family. Stating that they reinforced the century-old roots with reverence for family traditions, the fourth generation representative of the family, Barış Cemiloğlu adds "we abide by the principle of making no concessions on the quality front, ever."

08 Mart 2016 Salı

Etiketler : English