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Zimbabwe’s largest producer and marketer of frozen, dressed chicken and by-products

Why Suncrest Chickens
Suncrest chickens are wholly Zimbabwean products which are grown by a combination of experienced internal and external growers.

Suncrest Chickens is involved in the slaughter, processing, marketing and distribution of frozen dressed chickens and by products. Our operations at the company factory begin when six week-old broilers are collected from a selection of contract growers and more than 4,500 birds are processed per hour, and our spiral freezing equipment enables freezing of chicken within an hour.

Suncrest operations include inbound- and secondary production, packing, and dispatch. High value is placed on quality and our production line is constantly inspected by controllers to ensure that all products are disease-free.

Our production facilities have an average daily turnover of 40,000 live birds when operating at full capacity. This translates into 56 tonnes of processed and packed chicken meat, with an average production cycle of 2 days. Suncrest stores this meat in its three blast freezers with 60-tonnes of storage capacity and three cold stores with 600-tonnes of storage capacity.

Our quality products

Suncrest Chickens has a wide range of dressed chicken products that include mixed portions, whole birds, special cuts, trays, catering portions, sundries, pet food and bulk products.

A summary our product range appears below:

There are generally 2 types of whole birds: those with giblets (insides) and those without (Barbeque chickens). Both are packed in sizes and requirements of the consumer as follows:

Budget Beater

This chicken has an average weight of 882g and is well known as the baby chicken. It’s the smallest Branded Suncrest whole bird.

The minimum weight is of this product is 800g with giblets.

Red

Average weight is 1.3kg with giblet. The dominant colour on pack is red.

The minimum weight is 1.2kg.

White

Average weight is 1.1kg with giblet. The dominant colour on pack is white.

The minimum weight is 1kg.

Yellow

Average weight is 1.5kg with giblet. The dominant colour on pack is yellow.

The minimum weight is 1.4kg.

Blue

Average weight is 1.7kg with giblet. The dominant colour on pack is blue and is the largest branded Suncrest whole bird.

The minimum weight is 1.6kg.

BBQ Medium

Average weight 1.1kg without giblet, product most suitable for roasting and braai, that’s why it is an oven ready.

The minimum weight is 1kg.

BBQ Large

Average weight is 1.5kg without giblets. The minimum weight is 1.4kg.

A-Grades-Mixed bag

This product is a mix of all whole bird sizes in clear packaging - mostly suitable for butcheries and canteens.

These are cutlets packed in different sizes to meet all customer needs.

350g cutlets

This is the smallest pack of the branded Suncrest mixed portions. It comprise of a few mixed cuts to cater for one or two individuals.

500g cutlets

Another small pack to cater for those with only a few dollars for chicken.

500g special cuts

Small pack for special cuts: thighs, fillets, drumsticks and wings.

1kg Suncrest Oven readies

Contains 1kg of mixed portions.

2kg Suncrest Oven readies

2kg mixed portions in a bright yellow pack and are known as Oven Readies because they are ready for the oven.

5kg/10kg mixed portions

Unbranded mixed portions mostly sold through Suncrest retail outlets.

Bulk IQF (IQF-Individually Quick Frozen)

Cutlets packed in bags averaging 20kg. These products are mostly suitable for the catering industry and are only found in Suncrest outlets.

Sun Valley mixed Portions

Juicier tenderized mixed portions packed in 1kg and 2kg packs.

Our petfood is found in a 500g packet which is white in colour branded with the Suncrest colours. The product is made from chicken heads, is purely meat and is the most recommended petfood by veterinary doctors in Zimbabwe.

These are the feet, necks, gizzards, and liver - packed in 1kg for the retail outlets. The products are packed in clear packaging. Orders for bulk sundries can also be made for the shop butcheries.

These are special cuts packed for those who want specific chicken portions. Currently not branded, these are found at Suncrest outlets and available to all. Portions in this category include Drumsticks, wings, thighs, legs, ¼ chicken, ½ chicken, drummettes, winglets and breasts.

These are pieces packed in trays which average 330g. There is a wide range of trays form special cuts (drumsticks, wings etc) to mixed portions. These are packed in boxes unlike all other products. They are pre-priced unless the customer specifies.

Integration with CFI Group businesses

Day old Chicks from Hubbard Zimbabwe are bred by internal growers namely Crest Breeders and Glenara Estates and specially selected external growers.

Chicken breeding is monitored by a team of veterinary doctors from Vetco Animal Health who offer technical expertise. The Abattoir is located along Amalinda road in Glen View 7. Suncrest abattoir is Halaal certified meaning all products that come from the factory and sold through its shops meet the Halaal Society of Zimbabwe standards.

Recipe of Choice

Bufalo Chicken Wings

3 x 450g Suncrest Tray Wings (approximately 12 Chicken Wings)
Red Seal cooking oil
1 Table spoon of Soya sauce
1 Table spoon of vinegar
1 Table spoon Tabasco Sauce
4 Table spoons margarine
Salt
Pepper

For the blue cheese dip

½ Cup sour cream
½ Cup mayonnaise
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut the tips off the Suncrest chicken wings and freeze to use in soup stock. Split the remaining part of each wing into two pieces at the joint. Toss in Soya sauce, vinegar and seasoning. In a large saucepan, heat 5 ml of oil over moderate heat. Add half the wing portions and fry them for 12 to 15 minutes until they are golden brown.
Meanwhile make the blue cheese dip. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, parsley and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed. Cover the dip and refrigerate it until the chicken is ready to serve.
Drain the first batch of fried wings on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Keep them warm. Repeat to fry the second half of the wings. In a small sauce pan melt margarine over low heat and stir in Tabasco sauce. Toss the drained wings in the Tabasco sauce mixture. Serve with the blue cheese dip.
Dip the hot chicken in the chilled blue cheese dip and wash it down with a refreshing long cool drink.

The Production Director

Mr. Langton Mautsa

[B. Tech (Hon)]

Langton has over 18 years wide ranging industrial experience. He started his career with Carnaud MetalBox Plastics as a Trainee Manufacturing Engineer and then moved on to work for various private companies in the fields of plastics packaging, development banking, farm implements manufacturing and stock feeds manufacturing.

Has been in executive senior management positions with Accolade Holdings and Morewear Industries. He moved to Suncrest Chickens in June 2011 as the Production Director. lmautsa@suncrest.co.zw +263-4-690491-5/470/480

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q:Who supplies Suncrest Chicken with the birds to slaughter?

A:Crest breeders supplies Suncrest with birds to slaughter. There are also contract growers who are located within a radius of 80km from Harare.

Q:How can one become a contract grower for Suncrest?

A:To become a contract grower, one has to meet specific standards and outlined poultry farm husbandry practices. This is done through the Vetco technical Team and the CFI Poultry Head Office – Contact them here.

Q:Does Suncrest import its dressed chickens?

A:Suncrest does not import chickens; all its chickens are wholly Zimbabwean fed from Agrifoods feed which is made locally from soya and maize. Crest breeders and Glenara Estates get their day old chicks from Hubbard Zimbabwe which they breed for Suncrest Chickens.

Q:How does Suncrest control quality of birds?

A:Suncrest Chickens upholds hygiene and quality control standards through a quality control team that comprises of Qualified Quality Control Inspectors who work very closely with the Group Technical Team at Vetco Animal Health and the Government Veterinary Department.

Q:How is Suncrest Chicken graded?

A:All birds being processed pass through a computerized weigh line which grades birds according to weight. The dressed weight range is 650g to 2kg.

Q:How long does it take to blast freeze chicken, and at what temperature?

A:Blast freezing at Suncrest takes a maximum of 14 hours at -35 degrees Celsius. However, Suncrest recently upgraded its freezing equipment to modern standards through acquisition of spiral freezing equipment, which freezes chicken in an hour.

Q:In what trucks do you dispatch products? Are they refrigerated?

A:Suncrest has refrigerated trucks used to deliver product at -18 degrees Celsius.

Q:What is the product range?

A:Suncrest has the following range of products: Whole Birds, Mixed Portions, Tray Portions, Sundry products and Catering products (See above section for more details).

Q:Is Suncrest able to do product to customer specification?

A:A standard product range is supplied in the market but Suncrest can tailor products to suit customer requirements. Organisations are able to order specific chicken portions of similar sizes.

Q:Is a customer guaranteed of consistent supply?

A:Current production capacity has over the years been able to meet the required demands in the market.

Q:Is Suncrest able to supply nationwide?

A:Suncrest Distribution network ensures that product reaches every corner of the nation. The distribution centers are as follows: Harare, Bulawayo and retail outlets in Kadoma, Chinhoyi, Marondera.

Service to the nation

Currently Suncrest services the local Zimbabwean market and looks forward to servicing the regional markets. Suncrest products are available in all leading supermarket chains and are sold to institutions, restaurants, sold directly to individual consumers through its own branded retail outlets located in Harare, Kadoma and Chinhoyi.

Suncrest ensures that product reaches every corner of the nation.