More than five years since his last trip to Australia, MONIN CEO Olivier Monin sat down with BeanScene to discuss product advancement and sustainability driving his global gourmet flavour company.
From humble beginnings in France to a global industry leader, MONIN is no stranger to growth and innovation. The fact the company now operates in over 160 countries and produces more than 200 flavours is undeniable proof of this.
Distributed in Australia through Stuart Alexander since 2012, MONIN’s product line has become a staple for creative beverage makers in bars, hotels, and cafés – from premium syrups, frappe powders, gourmet sauces, fruit purees, to liqueurs and cocktail mixers.
Starting out as a liquor company before pivoting into its core business of syrups – family is the common thread throughout MONIN’s history. Its roots stem back to 1912, when Olivier’s grandfather, Georges Monin, founded the company in Bourges, central France, and passed it on to Paul, Olivier’s father.
Olivier later took the helm as president in 1993 – leaving his Chicago banking job and challenging himself to take the company to the next level. He achieved that and has been at the forefront ever since.
That family heritage still holds true, with Olivier’s 28-year-old daughter recently joining the company. He’s tasked her with visiting each of the company’s global plants, located in the Americas, Asia, and Europe, to understand the differences between each.
But he reiterates that whether a company representative carries the Monin last name or not, customers are treated with the exact same mentality: “nice people always want to help”.
“Every one of our plants and subsidiaries has a managing director, and they’re all easy to talk to. For us, that’s essential. We now have more than 1,400 MONIN employees, and any one of them can call me or send me an email. It’s important we keep that essence of the company, so we can continue to support our many customers across the world.”
Even with a 113-year history, Olivier recognises the need for MONIN to continually improve. A mindset shift in the way its products are presented to the market is an example of this, as well as its investment in sustainability initiatives (more on this soon).
On the first point, he highlights the need for MONIN to evolve the way it serves its customers. One of those developments is an emphasis on “selling solutions”.
“We always say we are not selling the product, but the solution instead, because behind the scenes we have the skilled people who do that – so MONIN, and our distributors, are investing in a very high-level of professionalism,” he says.
“The solution should be different for each venue, even if they are just a few metres apart. Most times, their customers are different, and so the expectation will be different.”
With MONIN products available in 165 countries, the company is privy to an array of trends across the coffee and café industries – the matcha explosion saw the company release a Green Tea Matcha syrup.
Olivier says the company hears from those on the ground in every country, including Australia. If the idea has merit, the company’s R&D team seek to understand how to maximise this opportunity so customers can bring new flavours into their drinks menu.
“New trends are very difficult to define, but one trend we’re really working on is to now concentrate on flavours that aren’t as sweet. There’s a global trend worldwide towards this, consumers are demanding it,” he says.
Before launching products, the company ensures the recipe matches the intended flavour. Olivier often gets the final say on any new product.
“I always believe with every new syrup, if I don’t get that ‘wow’ moment, then we need to go back to work,” he says.
MONIN currently has more than 200 syrup recipes, thanks to access to variety of fruits from around the world. Olivier says one of the most recent editions is jabuticaba, a Brazilian fruit that’s become a “very popular” flavour.
“In every region where MONIN operates a manufacturing plant, we try to also develop a new syrup close to the local food,” he says.
The company has recently established its own plantations, planting yuzu – a citrus plant – five years ago in Europe and vanilla in Madagascar.
“Yuzu was the first because we saw that there was going to be a decrease in production, mainly in South Korea, where 80 per cent of the production is coming from … we’ve done this beautiful plantation, but we think we should multiply by 10 because the global production is decreasing, and the demand is increasing.”
The company’s Madagascar operations started not long after. The country itself produces at least 80 per cent of the worldwide vanilla supply.
Olivier says the company bought land in a small village, employing 80 locals, and has built a school classroom. The farm sits 1000 kilometres from the main production area and partners with local business for the production.
He says the way the farm has been set up “enables us to take care of each tree”.
“We take care of our environment, and I think very few companies can do that, especially in the syrups industry,” he says.
“It’s so important to take care of nature, because if you don’t teach your kids, then you will lose it. So it’s very important for us to be part of it.”
Naturality at the forefront
Olivier puts a strong focus on the increased naturality of ingredients, noting the trend’s rise in Australia. Currently, 98 per cent of MONIN products are made with 100 per cent natural ingredients.
“When I came on 40 years ago, there were just a few ingredients – around three, four or five – in the recipes. Now it’s more like 15 to 25, and much more complex. To make it self-preserved, you need to add a lot more smaller types of spices, and different types of ingredients,” he says.
“Before [the change], we were producing new flavours in almost a few days in the lab. Now it’s more like a few months, because we want to keep it stable, without using any preservatives,” he says.
On the sustainability front, each new MONIN plant aims to improve upon its environmental impact, with Olivier highlighting the company uses solar panels in Bourges that can save 80 per cent of its water waste.
“The more people that use that system, the better for the planet,” he says.
Other goals include using 100 per cent recycled glass, and the company is looking to overhaul each plant with water sustainability in mind, realising downstream models to target zero waste in the coming years.
Elsewhere, MONIN purchased a 13th generation orchard in France with more than 340 fruit varieties that was closing down. Although this farm doesn’t grow fruit for MONIN products per se, the company is selling the trees to ensure they get another lease on life.
Looking ahead
On what advice he would give to MONIN customers, including cafés, Olivier says there’s an opportunity for cafés and other venues to avoid “cheap product, made the artificial way” and lean into more natural ingredients that consumers are increasingly demanding.
“That’s our advantage, and why we play at the premium end of the market. We may be a bit more expensive … that’s because our products contain high quality ingredients but it’s better for everyone.”
He hints there’s a “very interesting” range coming soon, which Australia will have access to. But that’s all he can say.
Whatever comes next, it’s guaranteed that MONIN will continue to both surprise and satiate its customers.
MONIN is distributed in Australia via Stuart Alexander. For more information, visit stuartalexander.com.au
This article appears in the February 2026 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
