"Summer in a Bottle" - Interview with Ivett Farkas, one of the owners of Kapolcsikum
Kapolcsikum is a first-generation family business conceived by Ms. Ivett Farkas and her husband, Attila Leitold. Their goal was to put all their knowledge and love into creating a product, with the emphasis on quality rather than quantity. How did they manage to lock summer in a bottle? We learned this, among other things.
More than ten years ago, in 2011, we had a vague idea of what we would do if we were to launch a product on the market. We didn't inherit the business from our ancestors. We invented and developed it entirely by ourselves. Of course, we hope that our children will carry on one day
says Ivett about the start of the business. It was mainly the sales part of the process that drove them, but they had neither the recipes nor the necessary tools at the time.
They started by experimenting with elderflower syrup, and it paid off. Since it worked and they received positive feedback from customers, they began to expand the range. Today, the 'Kapolcsikum Estate' has grown into a seven-hectare farm with 1,600 fruit trees, 2,340 metres of raspberry hedge and 1,500 elderberry bushes. A small flock of sheep graze and do an excellent job mowing the grass and weed.
It all started in Kapolcs, then came the lands in Vigántpetend. The estate and the different crops we planted began to take shape. I am from Kapolcs, and my husband comes from Pula. We got married, had children, and moved to Vigántpetend. We farm here; this is where all the fruit, the main ingredient of our products, comes from
Ivett tells us.
Ivett and Attila currently work full-time in their orchard. They grow sour cherries, elderberries, raspberries, apples, and peaches, which they use to make syrups, jams, and dried fruits. Attila is a liberal arts graduate who learned about agriculture on the go. He is responsible for cultivating the fields. Once the fruit is ripe, Ivett does most of the processing and is also responsible for the creative and marketing side of the business.
They process all the fruit on the estate. The processed materials are kept in acid-proof tanks and are bottled on demand. They also have a deep-freeze storage chamber where ripe fruit is kept frozen and processed according to order. This allows them to consistently offer customers fresh syrups and jams, including sugar-free (stevia-sweetened) versions.
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Several restaurants around Lake Balaton use Kapolcsikum products. Ivett and Attila also run an online shop so customers can buy directly from them. All products are made from 100% fruit, and, as Ivett says, the company aims to innovate and develop constantly.
The market always dictates the need for something new. Autumn to spring is about jams, and summer is mainly about syrups, as you're more focused on hydration in the heat. We introduced two new flavours last year and will introduce additional products this year. We work with berries like raspberries, currants, strawberries, and with sour cherries, elderberries, and lavender. This year, one of the new products will be mint syrup.
Balaton favourites
"We're a bit far from Lake Balaton, there's a hill between us and the lake that we have to pass over both coming and going, but we really like Balaton. My husband and I grew up around here, and we used to go to Zánka and Balatonakali with our parents as kids, so we're attached to these places. Another big favourite of ours is Badacsony. It has an intimate atmosphere, and a gentle charm that emanates from its atmosphere."
