18123_NSFM-mei-2021_Guts_Totaal_UK_1_Spreads_LR

nonstop
fresh/
Magazine
for
the fresh
produce sector
June 2021
Guts!
Read online: www.aartsen.com

index/
10/ Gutsstories.
6 Aartsen daredevils, 6 different stories about having guts.
12/ Agrovision.
Is conquering the world.
18/ Black sheep
group.
Ho Lee Fook - a funky chinese kitchen.
24/ Seppe Nobels.
Season - Basics - Roots.
32/ Fashion is going
out of fashion.
How fashion is changing.
36/ Floortje.
If you can’t stand the heat...
41/ Ellen Gerritsen.
No Guts No Glory!
En meer...
04/ The editorial team, six individuals, one image, one magazine.
06/ Only when you have the GUTS!
15/ Franky dares!
20/ Grow!
30/ Aartsen Kids Foundation, we go the extra mile to make a child smile.
38/ The world of Aartsen, read the latest news.
44/ Together we can grow.
46/ ‘From country to country’ with Aartsen Asia.
This month, we decided to create an issue
called Guts! After all, guts is what Aartsen
is all about. However, after giving it some
thought, I believe we’re not quite top of the
league in the fruit and veg industry when it
comes to guts. We have been sailing the
same strategic course for years.
Okay, we’ve had a lot of success, but where’s
the guts in that? We’re not lagging behind
the supermarkets, so would fully focusing
on retail be a gutsy move? We’ve also had
the same staffing strategy for years: no
attempts to attract experienced people
elsewhere and solely focusing on training
young talent. Would suddenly sending out
a team of headhunters show guts? In the
Benelux, we don’t export goods, although
we could set up an export division ourselves,
would that be a gutsy thing to do?
We’ve never invested in fruit and vegetable
production as we don’t know anything
about it (or so we think). Why not show
some guts and purchase a couple of fruit
farms on the other side of the planet?
There’s a whole world of business
opportunities out there, so why not?
I don’t even like to climb to the top of a
tall ladder, never mind go bungee jumping!
These days, I wouldn’t even go up in a
hot-air balloon. Deep-sea diving? I barely
even swim, and even then I’m staying as
close to the surface as possible. Would I
ride a motorbike? Not really. I’d prefer to
drive a car at 150 mph (yes, I know I drive
way too fast). I’m also quite an advanced
skier, though I never go off-piste any more.
In short, I’ve become a bit of a wuss!
However, doesn't it takes guts just to say
'no' sometimes? Is guts all about following
your own path? Is guts about being yourself,
no matter what other people say?
You should always be yourself, as a person
and as a business. I can say with conviction
that Aartsen has never been one to run
with the crowd or follow in somebody else’s
footsteps. We’re a bit headstrong at times
(well, often maybe) and we like to make
our own decisions. We’re not scared to
make these and accept any consequences.
So let others be the judge of exactly how
much guts Aartsen has.
Nonstopfresh
magazine is
published by
Aartsen Breda B.V.
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda
Postbus 9555
4801 LN Breda
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial board
Martijn van der Zwalm
Lodewijk Varossieau
Hans de Regt
Text
Stefan Verhaar
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
Frank Poppelaars
Design &
realisation
Just in Case Communicatie
Etten-Leur
www.jicc.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.superrebel.com
foreword
Guts!
Oh, by the way, we're expanding in Breda,
we’re building new premises in Sint-Katelijne-
Waver and in Hong Kong, we’ve successfully
purchased the next-door premises.
In short, we’re clearly not lacking in the
ambition department!
Happy reading and perhaps let us know
what you think. That is, if you’ve got the guts!
www.aartsen.com
marketing@aartsen.com

Six individuals, one image, one magzine.
The editorial team of the nonstopfresh magazine (NSFM) consists of six people. Six individuals with
different backgrounds, experiences, characters and talents. But they have one thing in common:
they want to provide the readers with the best possible magazine. This is why the NSFM is always
a well thought-out mix of insights, ideas and qualities. Together, they form one editorial team and this
is what the picture, composed of fragments from the six editors, represents. We asked them to tell us
something about ‘guts’ in relation to Aartsen, the creation of the magazine and the cooperation
within the editorial team. Curious how they look at it?
What
does it
mean
to have
‘guts’?
Frank Poppelaars
Photographer
In my opinion, Aartsen is all about showing some guts. Even when it
seems difficult, we pave our own path, with persistence, perseverance,
a strong will and a solid entrepreneurial mentality. This is clearly
reflected in our communications, in our brands, in our strategy and
in the magazine.
Lodewijk Varossieau
Creative Director at SuperRebel
Very few companies are organised as efficiently and effectively as
Aartsen. Perfection is reflected in every aspect of the business, and
it is an extremely well-oiled machine. However, what may not be
immediately apparent is that Aartsen has some real guts. The company
is extremely innovative and continues to lead its sector. This innovation
is clearly reflected in our extremely efficient business processes,
our buildings and the layout of those buildings. In every aspect,
Aartsen goes the extra mile and strives to be number one.
Communication is a particular area in which Aartsen goes further than
the rest, consistently developing and publishing intelligent internal
and external campaigns with a healthy dose of self-awareness.
For example, our gutsy and distinctive nonstopfresh magazine is
unique to the sector, and our recruitment campaigns always stand out.
We set the bar high at Aartsen, while still keeping an open mind for
suggestions. Good ideas are always more than welcome. Nothing is too
crazy, as long as it’s creative, effective and has been well thought out.
By continually pushing the boundaries, Aartsen continues to lead the
pack. No guts, no glory.
Hans de Regt
Creative Director at Just in Case
Communications
I think it definitely takes guts to make every edition of nonstopfresh
magazine unique, eye-catching and distinctive.
We set the bar extremely high at Aartsen, which gives us energy and
encourages us to get the best out of ourselves. In my view, having guts
is also essential to our collaboration within the editorial team.
Together with Jack, Martijn, Lodewijk, Frank en Stefan, we try to push
the boundaries with every edition, in order to keep the readers informed
and inspired about Aartsen in the broadest sense of the words.
And once each new magazine is hot off the presses and we’ve
successfully pushed the boundaries once more, we’ve set the bar that
little bit higher for the next edition. Because with enough guts, we can
make progress for the future together.
Stefan Verhaar
Copywriter at Donuts for Chelsea
Having guts is second nature to us. When asked to tell a story about guts
at Aartsen, I thought long and hard. Aartsen seems to pay no attention to
boundaries whatsoever. Sometimes, I see things from the outside looking
in, at other times from the inside looking out. We are always in motion,
and the company is extremely dynamic. We’re almost like flowing water,
but without the water uncontrollably going in all directions. It’s clear that
boundaries are there to be pushed. And we’re always striving to become
even better. Does that count as guts?
In my view, Aartsen never takes the safe path, although everything
Aartsen does seems to be the safe path in hindsight. Refusing to take
the safe and easy route and then achieving results that do feel safe and
easy may appear to be a little contradictory, but it’s just the natural and
logical way that we do things at Aartsen. Most of what we do seems
gutsy to outsiders, but at Aartsen, it’s the most normal thing in the world.
It’s simply second nature to us. I believe that this is all down to the
DNA of the family and the organisation. This way of doing things has
become natural to us, like a family trait and an intrinsic characteristic
of the company.
Being part of the magazine’s editorial team at Aartsen is both
fascinating and inspiring. We have a lot of freedom to develop content
for nonstopfresh magazine, and individual contributions are not just
welcome, they’re obligatory! This ensures that every new edition clearly
reflects the guts that comes naturally to everyone at Aartsen.
Martijn van der Zwalm
Aartsen fruit and vegetables
We go the extra mile for fruit and vegetables. At Aartsen, we like to refer
back to this memorable motto as frequently as possible. However, in
addition to going the extra mile for fruit and veg, we also go the extra mile
in absolutely everything we do.
We do this ourselves, and we expect our partners and business relations
to do the same. Aartsen is strong-willed and always tries to do things
differently. We blaze our own trail, and we don’t like to copy others.
This takes a lot of guts. But as we always say, no guts, no glory!
We never back down from a challenge, and this attitude is front and
centre in our minds when creating and editing our nonstopfresh
magazine.
Each issue sets the bar that little bit higher, with increasingly creative
ideas, captivating copy and convincing images. Only then can we get the
best out of ourselves and each other. Having guts is also about giving
each other the freedom to express ideas whilst maintaining a critical eye.
Only then can we continue to ensure the high quality of this magazine
and take each issue to a higher level. As with everything we do, it’s a
team effort. You may move faster on your own, but you get further by
relying on each other.
nonstop
fresh/ 5

nonstop
fresh/ 7

Sandra de Rooij (Breda) –
What do you need guts for?
“Taking over my in-laws' farm at the age of
22 and buying a 2-hectare plot two years
later, that really did take a lot of guts.”
When Sandra met Coen when she was 17,
he immediately said: “San, if you’re the one,
then you’ll end up living here, because I'll
never leave!” A prophetic statement, as
Coen and Sandra would become the 5th
generation of the De Rooij family on the farm.
It is an old farm located in a fairly rural area
that dates back to 1912, and consisted of
two houses. Coen’s parents and
grandparents lived there together. The fact is
that Sandra really loved coming to this place;
the house always felt like a warm blanket to her.
When Sandra and Coen were about 22 years
old, the farm became their home after his
parents moved to the village. It all felt very
unreal at the time, for two young people to
take such a huge step. It was almost like
someone else was doing it.
Time seemed to have stood still on the old
farm. It took almost a year of renovation
work to turn the two houses into one
beautiful home. Before they finally moved
into their homely nest together, there was a
big party and a fabulous wedding. Sandra
was adamant about that, as she absolutely
didn’t want them to live together before they
got married. Two years after the wedding,
the neighbours’ land suddenly came up for
sale. An opportunity that doesn’t occur very
often in rural areas. Coen felt that the land
would be great for horticulture, and he
wanted to take the plunge and buy the plot.
Sandra had a rather sleepless week as a
result. Deep in her heart, she didn't have the
guts to take this step again. But all the same,
they found the guts together, and with their
love for each other, it all worked out fine in
the end.
Sandra would do it again in a heartbeat.
The past 25 years have been beautiful,
valuable, educational years. Through a
process of trial and error, Coen and Sandra
truly understand that nothing should be
taken for granted. Her motto: If you want to
feel rich, count everything you have that
money can't buy.
Kurt Chan (Hong Kong) –
What do you need guts for?
“Retrieving the basketball from the playing
field where more than 30 gangsters are
involved in a fight. When I was 13 or 14,
I didn't have the guts to do that.”
Kurt and his friends were playing on a
basketball court in an older neighbourhood
of the city. At that time (16-18 years ago),
there were also many young gangsters
hanging around. While Kurt and his friends
were playing basketball, an older brother of
one of his friends came along with his gang
and played a game. Shortly afterwards, a
rival group of the gang appeared.
They recognised each other and both groups
immediately challenged each other. It didn’t
take long before a confrontation developed.
Kurt and his friends distanced themselves
as things quickly got out of hand.
Although the boys managed to escape the
fight, they couldn't take all their basketballs
and one or two balls stayed on the court
with the rival gangs. The boys hung around
for a while to see if they could retrieve them,
but had to leave without the missing
basketballs, in order not to get involved
in the fight.
If it happened today, Kurt would make sure
he collected all his stuff before things got
out of hand. No, that’s a joke, he thinks it
would be more important to make sure all
his friends were safe, call the police and just
ignore the balls. If he went for the basketballs,
it would only show that he was NUTS
instead of having GUTS.
Richard Uijtdewilligen (Breda) –
What do you needs guts for?
“Not having a natural gift for languages
and learning Spanish in 3 months at the
age of 42.”
When Richard joined Aartsen, he was one
of the few employees, apart from Dutch,
could speak some English. In his field, Dutch
horticulture, that wasn’t any kind of issue.
After all, he spoke the language of the
grower. After fourteen years at Aartsen,
Jack Aartsen suggested that Richard join
the Spanish team. He would have to learn
Spanish, though.
A plan was drawn up: he spent three weeks
at the Regina Coeli language institute, where
he focused exclusively on learning Spanish
from morning until late evening. After these
three weeks, Richard left for Spain for two
months, with the main aim of applying the
Spanish language in practice and developing
his language skills further. The first week in
Spain was hard for him. After 3 days in
Almeria, he didn't even think he could do it.
He wanted to get in the car and drive straight
back home. His wife Chantal proved a great
support, however, and pulled him through it.
To this day, he's still very grateful to her for
that. Richard soon made considerable
progress and gained more and more
confidence. He has now been working in the
Spanish department for 8 years, and forms
part of the Commercial Management Team.
Richard has benefited greatly from his
decision. He hasn't regretted it for a moment;
after all, he has had the opportunity to expand
his knowledge, take on a new business
challenge and discover a new culture.
nonstop
fresh/ 9

guts
stories
Wayne Jongerius
Commercial
Manager &
member CMT
Aartsen Asia.
What is outrigger canoeing?
Outrigger canoeing is an endurance sport where you
race in single and six-paddler canoes with lateral floats
called outriggers attached to the hull. Ocean races can
be 40 kilometres or more.
What are the sport's cultural roots?
In search of land, the first people arrived on Hawaii in
canoes 1,800 years ago. Originally, those were simple
boats, but in the 1980s outrigger canoeing became the
official state sport of Hawaii.
What drew you to this sport?
Knowing my love of the water, two years ago a couple
friends asked if I wanted to come dragon boat racing
with them. Later, a few of our team members started
outrigger canoeing in long-distance competitions.
I've noticed it has helped improve my work-life
balance. I attribute that to the fact that, out on the
ocean, you're automatically offline.
Is it dangerous? Have you ever
been in dangerous situations
yourself?
It can be dangerous if you're not well prepared.
The most dangerous situation I was ever in, was
when the outrigger on my single-paddler canoe
broke. My canoe was capsized five kilometres
off the coast in stormy waters. Lucky for me,
I'd taken along a length of rubber inner tubing
and managed to use that to fasten the
outrigger to my canoe and paddle back.
It took me almost a half hour to repair,
in waves nearly two metres high.
Is it physically demanding?
With each stroke you're locking your paddle
in the water, pulling you and your canoe
forwards. That takes a massive amount of
physical strength, even more on long
distances going against the wind
and/or current.
Do you get a kick from it?
The ocean can be a real beast: waves,
currents, wind, rain, water... Weather
forecasts help, but in the end you never know
exactly what the conditions on the water will
be untill you're out there. It's always different
and that's a thrill, especially when conditions
are tough.
Would you recommend this
to anyone, or do you need
certain traits or skills?
I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a
challenge. You've got to be a good, natural
swimmer, though, because if your canoe
winds up turning over, you have to stay calm.
nonstop
fresh/ 11

Agrovision is conquering the world.
Growth
requires
guts and
dedication.
Every successful entrepreneur needs guts. So, it’s no surprise
that each and every one of the entrepreneurs that have chosen to
work together with Aartsen share this feature: wanting to be the
very best! One company that stands out as particularly gutsy is
Agrovision, a Peruvian company we would like to introduce to you.
Supplying to countries worldwide
and all year round
Agrovision grows and packages fruit and
vegetables in Peru and exports them to other
countries (and will do so from Mexico and
Morocco in the near future too). Agrovision
grows blueberries, grapes, asparagus and
avocados, which it supplies at times of the year
when customers are unable to source these in
their own countries. Advanced agricultural
technology and the growing region Agrovision
operates in, enable it to supply produce all
year round. Its products are destined for
established and upcoming global markets
like the United States, Canada, Europe,
the United Kingdom, China and other Asiatic
and Central and South American countries.
The founders of Agrovision, Tom Snyder and
Steve Magami, both have experience of running
and investing in companies in which land
ownership and use are key. But neither of them
had any direct experience with fruit and
vegetable cultivation. However, this did not stop
them from making plans. Quite the opposite.
Steve Magami: ‘We saw huge opportunities
for blueberries and recognised that the global
quality of supply was relatively poor. At the
same time, we also saw an opportunity to
cultivate this crop in Peru - a natural
greenhouse - all year round. Wow! We realised
how lucrative it could be if we were able to offer
customers predictable and reliable supply of
the best quality.
Different to other suppliers
‘We admire the work of many exporters in Peru and other growing
regions. But the world needs better players and, to achieve this, we
need to become even better growers. We have a different approach
compared to other companies – and that’s part of our vision too.
We want to transform the world around us. Let me give you an
example: we used our vision and imagination to transform parts of the
Peruvian desert into fertile arable land, to identify new and improved
varieties and to help us take advantage of the huge opportunities in
China, because of the huge demand for berries there.’
New products
Initially, Agrovision started with blueberries but has now expanded its
product range to include asparagus, grapes and avocados. ‘It doesn't
matter what sector you’re in, you need to have guts to introduce new
products. No project is ever without some level of risk. Dedication is
essential too. We are aware of the risks involved but are being very
cautious. We carefully weigh up every decision and listen to
the good advice of the people we work with – who are the very best.’
Abroad
‘We are becoming a global company. In the past, we focused more
on Peru, but that’s changing now. We asked ourselves what we
would need to do to be able to supply berries 52 weeks a year.
Our conclusion? We need to be in Mexico to tap the American market
and in Morocco for the European market. So, that’s what we did.
We headed off to Mexico and Morocco, armed with the very latest,
leading genetics and the best teams. Today, our organisation is
well-placed to attract premium talent. We weren’t able to do this
when we first started out in Peru. There are huge opportunities,
which are now very quickly translating into geographic expansion.
We are currently planting raspberries and blackberries on our first
100 hectares of land in Mexico.’
Aartsen’s market knowledge
China is an important growth market for Agrovision, which is where
Aartsen comes in. ‘We have a very close working relationship in China
and Europe, which makes Agrovision-Aartsen one of the prominent
supply chains. Currently, blueberries and grapes are our most
important crops in both Asia and Europe. We really value Aartsen's
market knowledge of Europe and Asia and its ability to identify
customers’ needs and preferences. We are achieving more sales
and better prices as a result.’
Aartsen and guts
Steve Magami says that Aartsen has a lot of guts too: ‘What’s a
Dutch fruit and vegetable company doing in Hong Kong? How has
it managed to become one of the leading players in the sector?
This achievement would have been impossible without a healthy
dose of guts and courage!’
nonstop
fresh/ 13

Agriculture has
the capacity to
change lives
and land for the
better, so we
are doing
everything
we can to
make this
happen.’
Franky
dares!
Agrovision and ambition
‘Our ambition is to expand the year-round market for
berries all throughout the world. In the big existing
markets, our main aim is to encourage market growth
for premium blueberries, which will lift blueberries to
even greater heights.
We are also setting new standards for quality and
reliability. Not just when buying land but also in our
ongoing commitment to innovation when cultivating,
processing, growing, packaging and shipping new
varieties. However, our ambition doesn’t stop with
Agrovision but extends to the people who work
for us and the communities in which we operate.
Agriculture has the capacity to change lives and land
for the better, so we are doing everything we can to
make this happen.’
Since Agrovision and Aartsen are both very ambitious
organisations, they are striving to strengthen the
links between them. Both see the future as very
bright indeed.
Column Franky.
Franky van Uffelen
Franky van Uffelen
works at Aartsen's
Commercial department
in St. Katelijne-Waver.
We decided to pose
Franky a little challenge
and asked him to pen
a column for our
nonstopfresh magazine.
Being a gutsy guy,
Franky accepted.
My story starts on a Thursday, 1 February 2001, when I stepped inside the
Aartsen fruit and vegetables location in St. Katelijne-Waver, on a mission to find
a job. Though they weren't looking to hire just then, they invited me to come and
check out their operations for a day. I managed to convince them and that same
afternoon found myself driving to Breda for an interview with Henny Aartsen and
Frank van der Velden. The following Monday, 5 February, I reported to the Breda
warehouse for my first day of training.
Two weeks later, they decided I was ready to start
work in Belgium. I spent the next three years working
in the warehouse and one year in Cash & Carry,
progressing from there to become a foreman.
I made the most of this opportunity and threw myself
into the job for 14 years. During that time, I saw
Aartsen evolve in leaps and bounds to become a
reputable company. And I was there for every step
of the renovations of our premises in Belgium.
My time as a foreman taught me a great deal
and enabled me to continue developing. Still, after
14 years, I felt ready for something new, preferably
within Aartsen. I put my question to the board and,
after giving it some thought, they offered me a post
in the Commercial department. Another wonderful
opportunity, and I grabbed it. After a few weeks of
training in Venlo and Breda, I was ready to roll.
And that's how I ended up where I am now, devoting
my days to sales for Aartsen Belgium.
My colleagues passed me a few customers to
start, and I got to work actively looking for and
reeling in new or potential customers of my own.
I'm enjoying my current commercial duties
immensely. If I had to single out the one thing I like
most, it would be acquisitions. Nothing is more
satisfying than persuading a potential customer to
come by for a visit and then convincing them to do
business with us. With some customers, it can take
a year before they finally pay us that visit, but then
the satisfaction's even greater. Of course, after that
the key is to keep them buying from us on a weekly
or even daily basis.
Looking back on my career at Aartsen, I feel a
great sense of pride. But if any more interesting
challenges cross my path at Aartsen, I'm only too
happy to take them on.
nonstop
fresh/ 15

guts
stories
Lissa Vermeiren
Commercial
talent & member
of Zespri Team
Aartsen Breda.
What is it like to be a
Flemish woman working
in the Netherlands?
Working in the Netherlands is brilliant, as it's
fairly close to home, but also because of my
lovely colleagues.
Why did you want to work
in the Netherlands?
Honestly, I've never thought about specific
reasons. For me, the main thing was and is that
I can be myself at work and keep growing and
developing alongside my colleagues.
What hurdles have you
encountered?
Before starting in Breda there were some
administrative things, like taxes and healthcare
insurance, that I had to sort out to work in the
Netherlands. Apart from practicalities, some words
and sayings go right over my head. But that goes
two ways, and usually it ends up being a funny
lesson for both sides.
Did you have to think long
about whether to take
this job?
Yes, because it's my first real job and I
wanted to be sure I'd want to keep working
here for a while. On top of that, I didn't
know exactly what I'd be doing apart from
sales, since I was told there was a new,
still ‘confidential’ project they wanted to
put me on.
Was it a gutsy move?
I think so. As a student I worked at a green
grocer's for years, so I already knew
something about fruit and veg. Still, working
at Aartsen is completely different. I was just
nervous because I didn't know exactly what
I'd be doing. And working abroad is a
challenge, especially for me as a 23-year-old
Flemish woman wanting to prove myself in
the still male-dominated workplace.
Do the stereotypes about Dutch
people fit?
It's true there are some stereotypes about Dutch people,
but the same goes for Belgians. The Dutch are more
direct and tend to be more upbeat and easy-going.
They're less reserved about asking questions. When I
started at Aartsen in January, I was made to feel very
welcome, and my colleagues were happy to show me
the ropes and help out with questions.
nonstop
fresh/ 17

The Black Sheep Group is not afraid of a challenge!
In 2012, Christopher Mark (a highly experienced Canadian chef) and Syed Asim Hussain (a financial pro
with Pakistani culinary roots) teamed up to launch the Black Sheep Group in Hong Kong. Their mission:
an authentic experience for guests. Fast forward to 2021 and the group now numbers thirty restaurants
– 29 in Hong Kong plus 1 in Shanghai, two of which have been crowned with coveted Michelin stars.
In fact, BSG is growing so fast there may well be 31 to 32 by now. Each restaurant has its own concept,
giving guests an experience of a specific time, place, ambiance, culture and cuisine.
Restaurants in the group offer a whole range of different flavours and feels, such as Asian, French, Italian,
South American, North American and Middle Eastern. But always intense, always top quality, and always unique.
Ho Lee Fook
a funky chinese kitchen.
Hong Kong. World metropolis.
Paradise for adventurous foodies.
Countless restaurants for every
occasion to choose from. As an
organisation looking for a place
where your business partners
will truly be treated like guests,
where do you go? For special
events, Aartsen Asia goes to the
Black Sheep Group.
That's because this group of
thirty local (save one) restaurants
shares something crucial in
common with Aartsen: guts!
We caught up with co-founder
Christopher Mark.
Taking care of each other
Restaurants in the Black Sheep Group (BSG)
pamper their guests and are devoted to
creating an authentic experience.
It's hospitality to the max, where guests get
extra-special treatment and personal attention.
The team is perfectly trained and provide
tip-top service. The secret ingredient?
The philosophy driving BSG, which starts
with taking excellent care of its workforce.
This is not always a given in the sector, but
it's a guiding principle for BSG. Because if
staff are happy, they'll take good care of
guests.
Inspired by the world
BSG restaurants are inspired by countries
and cities all over the world. Besides eateries
spotlighting authentic Hong Kong cooking,
they range from old-style New York, Italian
and neo-Parisian cuisine to Lebanese and
Vietnamese restaurants. At first sight, the
differences are massive, but the restaurants
actually have a lot in common. According to
Christopher Mark, they have about 70% in
common and are 30% distinctive. In terms
of quality, hospitality level, hygiene and the
standards guests can expect, the restaurants
are identical. Where they differ is in their cuisine,
atmosphere and the look and feel of each
member of the group.
Ho Lee Fook
BSG is distinctive and gutsy in everything
they do. Take the restaurant Ho Lee Fook.
Contrary to what the name suggests (take a
minute to say it out loud), it actually means
something really beautiful, translating as
‘Good fortune for your mouth’. Sure, that may
sound a little cheesy, but it lives up to that
promise. Mark assures us the name has
never put off any customers, certainly not
once they've eaten at Ho Lee Fook and seen
all their expectations exceeded.
Arrogance-averse
Maintaining a consistently high level of
hospitality, service and quality seems like
no easy feat, but the two partners have
surrounded themselves with better and
stronger teams than they had starting out.
Which is important if you’re as ambitious as
BSG, because it opens up more scope for
new ideas, restaurants and other developments.
This sounds like a concept with massive
international potential, yet, while Mark and his
co-founder Hussain are certainly interested in
going global, they don't want to be arrogant.
For now, they're exploring the options, but
have no firm plans yet.
Got to be gutsy
Co-owners Christopher Mark and Syed Asim
Hussain are ambitious to continue growing in
spite of the hard times the hospitality industry
currently finds itself in. Never before have
restaurants had it this tough. Which is why,
Mark says, it's more important than ever to
offer the best quality and take even bigger risks.
Good fortune
for your mouth.
You've really got to be gutsy. Mark explained
that the group owes its success to the bold
choices it's made. Whenever they opted to
go the safe route, it backfired. They've also
learnt not to be swayed by others, because
everyone's always got an opinion about a
concept, an interior and what dishes you're
serving up. Opinions, however, won't get you
anywhere. Clearly, choosing to be gutsy and
pave their own way has paid off for the Black
Sheep Group.
nonstop
fresh/ 19

You grow
apples_
Aartsen aims to grow together, with the very best
employees, products and partners – in every area.
That is the idea we want to share with our new
GROW campaign, which we launched at the end
of last year. To achieve growth, having guts and
the right mentality is crucial. Luckily, we have
plenty of both at Aartsen.
As a company, we regularly make daring choices, by radically
restructuring or expanding before doing so is strictly necessary,
for instance. Or by starting the sale of products that have not yet
achieved widespread popularity. Together with our colleagues and
our partners, we sometimes make choices that we do not feel entirely
comfortable with at first. But that just makes it more satisfying when
something turns out to have been the correct decision. And if we
occasionally make a wrong choice, it’s not that big a deal.
Aartsen aims to continue growing by letting her employees and partners
grow and by always remaining ‘nonstopfresh’.
If you ‘grow’, then we ‘grow’ as well.
we grow
your
market
share.
nonstop
fresh/ 21

guts
stories
Bas Rikkert
Cash & Carry
St. Katelijne-
Waver.
What is it like to be a
Dutchman working in
Flanders?
It's a challenge to work for the same company
in two different countries. Living just across the
border in Belgium, I was already spending quite
a bit of time at the St. Katelijne-Waver branch
from 2007 onwards. Though Breda
and St. Katelijne-Waver operate on the same
business philosophy, there are differences
between Dutch and Belgian employees and
customers. Because of that cultural difference,
I don't always approach customers and
colleagues in each country the same way.
Did you have to think long
about whether to transfer from
Breda to St. Katelijne-Waver?
Because I was regularly in St. Katelijne-Waver for
Aartsen, I was asked early last year if I wanted to
make a permanent switch. I didn't need long to
consider. It sounded like a terrific new challenge,
and the timing was right. I'd gained some experience
in a commercial position in Breda already and this felt
to me like a unique opportunity.
Do the stereotypes about
Belgian people fit? If so,
how do you deal with that?
Relationships with customers and staff are
different than in Breda. It's true that in the
Netherlands we're a bit more direct and open
where Belgian customers and staff tend to be
more cautious. My approach towards
customers has changed slightly. Sometimes
you have to give them some extra space.
But, being a Dutch-Belgian for almost
15 years, I know how it works by now.
Was it a gutsy move?
I realised some time later that, yes, it did
take guts, since it meant leaving behind my
familiar Aartsen surroundings in Breda.
But I'm in the swing of things now.
And, after 15 years, the whole Belgian
attitude of making time to enjoy life has
become a part of life for me, too. I thoroughly
enjoy raising a pint of Leffe at the weekend.
What are the hurdles?
Language, mainly. There are actually loads of different
Belgian dialects, and then there's our French customers
as well. Fortunately, I've become more proficient in
Belgian/French over the past year.
nonstop
fresh/ 23

Top chef Seppe Nobels blazes his own sustainable trail
‘Vegetables are central to my dishes –
I only add fish or meat when absolutely
necessary.’
On the edge of Antwerp, on the banks of the
River Schelde, you can find the old shipyard and its
historical dry docks. Stormkop – a free port for
adventurers young and old – is situated in one of the
buildings at this maritime heritage site. In the heart of
this industrial environment is the original canteen,
where the shipwrights used to sit down to enjoy their
meals. This is the spot where chef Seppe Nobels
recently opened his new pop-up restaurant Instroom.
Seppe Nobels is a chef on a mission. Several missions,
in fact, as Instroom is just one of the defining missions
of his unique career, which he built upon his passion
and fervent advocacy for vegetables. He has also been
the chef and co-owner of the Antwerp-based restaurant
Graanmarkt 13 since 2009, in addition to being a
well-known TV chef and author of cookbooks.

A highly versatile chef
Seppe Nobels is brimming with ideas and
always approaches new projects with
great enthusiasm. Before running his own
restaurant, he spent four years in France
and Italy working with Michelin-star
master chefs. In recent years, he has
published five cookbooks and worked as
a TV chef on a wide variety of programmes
in Belgium and the Netherlands.
He is delegating more and more
responsibilities to his kitchen brigade at
Graanmarkt 13 with a view to taking the
role of Executive Chef, which will give him
more time to spend with his family. It will
also give him more time and freedom to
devote to new adventures, such as his role
as culinary advisor to boutique hotel Santa
Clara 1728 in Lisbon and joint initiator of
the redevelopment of Chateau De La
Chapelle near Liège. Seppe is also an
urban beekeeper and gardener, with a
vegetable and herb garden on the roof of
his restaurant in Antwerp.
Green Michelin star
‘Graanmarkt 13 is a concept store with a
restaurant, an apartment, a shop, a gallery and
a wonderful backstory. We've been honoured
with prizes and showered with praise on
numerous occasions,’ says Seppe Nobels.
And at the beginning of 2021, Graanmarkt 13
added a green Michelin star to its lengthy
honours list. The green Michelin star was
created to recognise chefs who prioritise
vegetables and work towards a sustainable
future. ‘I was the first chef in Belgium to receive
this award. This has never been something
I worked towards, as I cook for people, not for
awards. Still, it's a great honour and wonderful
recognition for our kitchen staff, our quest for
sustainability, our character and our vision.
Vegetables are central to my dishes – I only
add fish or meat when absolutely necessary.
We believe that every dish must be perfect,
and everyone who works for me must go the
extra mile every single day. It has to be your
greatest passion. This gives cooking a special
feeling and takes it to a higher level.’
Opportunities for
newcomers
Instroom – Seppe's latest and possibly most
eye-catching initiative – perfectly blends
together everything that Seppe stands for:
passion, vegetables and sustainability. ‘I heard
about a combined learning and working project
by Gatam to help non-Dutch speakers access
the labour market and I decided to get involved.
Instroom was partly funded by the Municipality
of Antwerp and the Flemish government
agency that helps citizens with their career
development. The goal is to help people from
migrant backgrounds, who worked in a kitchen
or even ran their own restaurant, to find a
suitable career.
Accelerating the job search
Firstly, we want to prepare 14 newcomers –
often refugees – to work at Instroom. They will
start with completing an intensive six-week
course, during which we will prepare local
produce in a way that is inspired by their
cooking techniques. In this way, we'll be
creating completely original dishes. To ensure
maximum focus, we'll split the participants up
into groups of three, and each group will be
assigned a mentor. This mentor will be an
experienced professional from the local catering
sector, who will support and encourage the
participants and help accelerate their search for
a job. Subsequently, we will open the doors of
our pop-up restaurant for a period of eight
weeks to provide guests with a unique culinary
experience. The menu will be made up of 2 or 3
dishes created by each of the 14 participants.
We hope to attract a lot of restaurant owners,
so that they can see and taste for themselves
exactly what these people can do.’
Unique culinary academy
‘We listen carefully to the participants' stories
and greatly value their knowledge and skills.
Everyone inspires each other and works
incredibly hard. My head is brimming with new
ideas. I've inspired a lot of people over the
years and continue to do so, but it's also
important to me that I help people.
We're currently in the pilot phase, and if it's a
success, the project will continue with a fresh
set of participants and the aim of developing
into a unique culinary academy.’ This restaurant
also kills two birds with one stone, as it is
getting increasingly difficult to find highly skilled
and enthusiastic chefs in Belgium. As a result,
the new arrivals may bring some much-needed
new talent into the Antwerp culinary scene.
The way to the heart is
through the stomach
‘I don't know if I'd call myself gutsy, but I'm
certainly not one to follow in other people's
footsteps. That's never been how I do things.
Since 2009, I have been intensively focusing on
healthy and sustainable food and promoting the
interests of Belgian farmers who deserve better
pay for their produce. I know better than most
that the way to someone's heart is through
their stomach, and I'm convinced that seeing
and tasting what other cultures can do in the
kitchen will help people see these cultures in a
different light and learn to value them. I firmly
believe this. The decision to set up Instroom
and to focus on vegetables was mine and mine
alone. I've never been one to take the safe
choice, and I don't subscribe to herd mentality.’
As far as Seppe Nobels is concerned, you have
to believe in yourself and take concrete action.
Seppe follows his heart, and when he sets
himself a mission, he commits to it 100%.
If you would like to know more about
Seppe Nobels and what drives him,
visit seppenobels.be.
nonstop
fresh/ 27

guts
stories
Rik Verspaandonk
Commercial
Trader
Aartsen Asia.
How did you wind up in this job
and on this adventure?
I'd been working and living in Amsterdam, but always had
this idea to live abroad someday. Fortunately, my girlfriend
shared that idea. I was put in touch with Menno and heard
about the opportunities in Hong Kong. Meeting with
Menno lit a spark, but I wasn't quite sure yet what to do
about it. My girlfriend encouraged me to arrange another
meeting. After multiple conversations a plan began to
take shape, and then after talking with Jack it all fell into
place, including the move abroad.
What drew you to Hong Kong?
I've always been drawn to Asia. Other Asian cities
appeal to me as well, actually, but it ended up being
Hong Kong, and I love it.
How did friends and family
react to your decision?
It wasn't a shock, but as soon as you get serious
about a big step like that, people are surprised
nonetheless. Everyone was very excited for
us, though.
What was the most difficult
thing to leave behind?
Not seeing family and friends as often is hard.
The coronavirus hasn't helped, since travelling
is very difficult at the moment.
What was the biggest
challenge in Hong Kong?
Everything happened at once. We had to
quarantine in a hotel and of course there
were all kinds of arrangements to make.
Then I started my job, we familiarised
ourselves with the city, got to know people,
found a place to live and redecorated it.
And while I had a great job lined up in
Hong Kong, my girlfriend still had to find
something. Luckily, she's found a job
she likes now. All in all, there were some
major challenges.
Now that's you’ve settled
in, and knowing what you
know, would you take that
step again?
We both felt we wanted to do something
really cool. And I think we did: I'm 100%
positive this was a good step, professionally
and personally. We got a super nice welcome,
there's a sense of family and everyone's very
helpful. That makes makes taking such a big
step easier. So, yes, we'd absolutely do
it again.
nonstop
fresh/ 29

We go the extra
mile to make
a child smile.
This is what
Aartsen
Kids Foundation
does.
Aartsen not only wants to grow the business of its suppliers, but also wants to
contribute to the well-being of children. Aartsen Kids Foundation (AKF) has
launched four different initiatives for children who could use a bit of positivity
and encouragement. These initiatives contribute to their health, happiness and
self-esteem. AKF works in partnership with primary schools and social workers,
based on the same ‘nonstopfresh’ philosophy that Aartsen applies.
1. Cool Treats: the most fun and healthy teaching package for schools;
2. Children’s parties;
3. School supplies;
4. December presents.
Scan the
QR-code and
watch the video
Aartsen and Aartsen Kids Foundation are inextricably linked. That is why AKF
likes to involve everyone who works for and with Aartsen. Feel free to drop by the
foundation if you want to know more, or visit
aartsenkidsfoundation.com
nonstop
fresh/ 31

Our traditional
notions of fashion
are changing.
Currently, we still
eagerly anticipate
new seasons, fabrics
and collections.
But make no mistake:
fashion as we know it
is about to go out
of fashion.
FASHION
IS GOING
OUT OF
FASHION!
Traditional industry
The fashion industry is one of the least sustainable industries
there is. A young generation is now working to make the industry
more sustainable.
That takes guts: despite its innovative image, the fashion industry is
still largely traditional and stuck in old habits. New collections are
still designed and produced for each season, although many of the
clothes never find their way to consumers.
The number of unsold and unused garments around the world runs
into the billions and continues to rise. Burning these mountains of
textile is the only way to get rid of them, which is obviously an
incredible waste. Naturally, we - the consumers - aren't free from
blame here. After all, we want to buy as many clothes as possible
at the lowest prices. And although manufacturing and logistics are
becoming more sustainable, there is still a demand for seasonal
physical dresses, trousers, jumpers, jackets, shirts and so on.
Sustainability now
Change is often a gradual process. The fashion
world may be conservative, but consumers also
need time to adjust to changes. We generally
still want to wear physical fashion. Although this
way of thinking is slowly changing, there are
certainly opportunities to become more
sustainable on the supply side, especially in the
production process. The initial design process is
already digital. Samples are created in digital
rather than physical format. This digital clothing
can also be used in digital photo shoots, which
no longer have to be held in tropical, exotic or
remote locations.
These developments represent a major
step towards greater sustainability.
designers and developers, allowing people
to present themselves in unique ways.
Various fashion brands are currently working
to develop digital fashion. The DressX fashion
platform is making digital clothing accessible.
The process is simple: you choose an item from
their collection, e-mail a photo of yourself and
receive a picture showing you 'wearing' the
garment. The result is ready for online use: fun,
unique and sustainable. According to DressX,
the production of a digital garment generates
97% less CO2 than a physical garment.
Familiarisation
through games
The benefits are clear, but how realistic is it all?
Digital fashion may still seem a long way off,
but nothing could be further from the truth.
This development has already been underway
for some time in the gaming world.
Many children play games in which the player
can buy extra clothes and accessories (this is
the earnings model behind many free games.
For example, Fortnite has reportedly already
earned over a billion dollars from in-game
purchases). That is to say, the young gamers
buy new virtual clothes. These clothes are
visible on their avatars - their personal online
character. This serves as a gateway: the games
familiarise children with the idea of digital
fashion and introduce the idea to their parents
and other adults.
A virtual Gucci
Fashion defines part of our identity.
The question is: does that actually require
physical garments? We increasingly present
ourselves in digital form through social media
and online conferencing. This development
offers great potential. Innovative designers,
entrepreneurs and software developers are now
developing something new: digital fashion.
Everything that isn't physical is digital.
Digital fashion offers designers a lot more
freedom to push the envelope than regular,
physical fashion, and they are eager to take the
opportunity. For example, Gucci introduced a
digital shoe in early 2021. The item was
affordably priced, at about €10. Consumers can
wear the shoes in games and show them off to
the world on Instagram and Snapchat.
Young Dutch designer Amber Jae Slooten had
already designed a flaming trainer - a purely
virtual model.
The next step
Finally, a glimpse of the future: the ultimate next
step will be a digital environment within the
physical environment, allowing us to experience
the world through augmented reality. This
technology will allow us to see the digital world
that surrounds us with special glasses or lenses.
We can then wear clothing we have designed
and downloaded, and have it projected onto us.
This offers the best of both worlds in that it is
sustainable and allows us to present an entirely
unique identity. A far-flung future? Definitely, and
there are no guarantees for success. However,
we must have the courage to look ahead and
do everything we can to make it happen.
The new generation
Young people tend to initiate changes and new
developments because they are more
innovative and adventurous. For example, we
already mentioned Amber Jae Slooten. She's a
real pioneer in terms of digital fashion and is
determined to cut down on waste. Slooten is
nothing if not bold. She used her not
inconsiderable powers of persuasion to
graduate (cum laude) from the Amsterdam
Fashion Institute with a 100% digital collection,
the first student to do so in the school's history.
This decision ultimately led her to become a
founding partner of digital fashion house
The Fabricant several years later. Her efforts
have certainly been successful so far: a growing
number of fashion brands are now eager to
innovate, in collaboration with Slooten and her
colleagues. The Fabricant also captured the
media's attention when they designed and
sold a €9,500 digital couture dress.
What are the options today?
The COVID pandemic has opened up growth
opportunities for digital fashion. We've become
accustomed to seeing people use a digital
background of an island or some other trendy
location during their online meetings on Zoom
or Microsoft Teams. Digital clothing is the
logical next step, especially as we come to
realise that we don't need as many clothes
when working from home. Success hinges on
quality. Practical experience has shown that the
emotive potential of fashion can also be
conveyed digitally. The clothing you wear online
should move and look the same way as your
physical clothes, which is now possible thanks
to the latest technical advances and talented
The benefits of
digital fashion
As Slooten sees it, you don't have to pollute the
world just because you want to look different
every day. Digital fashion barely requires any
raw materials in the way that physical clothing
does, doesn't rely on hundreds of thousands of
underpaid workers, and doesn't put any
logistical burden on the world around us.
Digital fashion stays beautiful, never wears out,
and offers the advantage that it can be easily
adjusted to fit anyone.
For a broader perspective, we listened to the News
Weekend broadcast of 3 April 2021 on NPO Radio1
and an episode of the Future Shock Pioneers podcast
by VPRO Tegenlicht of 3 May 2020.
nonstop
fresh/ 33

guts
stories
Desley Cremers
Commercial
talent
Aartsen Venlo.
Tell us about your
parents’ business.
My parents have been running a cultural centre
and restaurant in Tegelen for almost 25 years.
It is called De Haandert. Or ‘The Temple’, as my
mum likes to call it. They do events for all ages
and every form of art and culture, for groups
ranging from 10 to 2,450 people. The centre has
two halls, a foyer, conference rooms and a music
school. There are spaces for Carnival events,
weddings, birthdays and concerts from classical
music to hard rock and hardstyle. De Haandert
also has its own choral, theatre, concert band and
other groups that rehearse there every week.
You decided not to go into the
family business. Why?
I grew up helping out at De Haandert and used to
think I wanted to take over the business someday.
But when I was thinking about what to study,
doubts began to surface. I really enjoyed marketing
and sales. Then I noticed that restaurant work
coincides with times my friends were going out and
having fun. What's more, my parents run the business
together, but what if I get a girlfriend who’s not into
that? All those things added up were reason enough
not to take over the business.
How did your family
take it?
My family has been really cool about it.
They see I'm in my element and like that
I tell them about experiences I'm having
at Aartsen. It makes them happy,
which makes me happy. I have no regrets
about choosing Aartsen. There are still
loads of opportunities for me to develop
myself and continue growing.
If you ever do have
second thoughts,
could you go back?
I think I'd be lying if I said no. If I genuinely
wanted to, there would always be room to
talk about maybe taking over the business.
But I had the guts not to take the familiar
path, to go down a new one, and I still
stand by that choice to this day.
After graduating, I had several jobs, but nothing I was
really excited about. Untill Tim Huberts (Aartsen Venlo)
connected me with Aartsen. That was the ideal next
step in my career. I realised early on that the restaurant
business mentality I knew so well – the long hours,
working hard and especially a talk-is-cheap work ethic –
also apply here.
nonstop
fresh/ 35

Method
Crush the garlic (skin on) and cut the peppers lengthwise.
Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan to 176 °F, using
the thermometer.
When the thermometer indicates 176 °F, add the peppers
and the garlic to the pan and take the pan off the heat
immediately. The mixture will bubble and sizzle a bit.
Leave to stand for 15 minutes to give the oil time to cool off.
Madame Jeanette oil
Ingredients
• 500 ml sunflower oil
• 1 Adjuma pepper
• 1 Madame Jeanette pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
Utensils
• Saucepan
• Kitchen thermometer
• Funnel
• Clean glass jar
Pour the oil into the glass jar using the funnel and add the
peppers and the garlic. After 24 hours, taste the oil to
check whether it’s time to remove the peppers.
The oil has a variety of uses. One example is given in the
recipe below. This is a recipe for Saoto. Saoto is the
Surinamese variant of the Javanese dish soto. Originally,
therefore, it comes from Indonesia. Both variants are
equally delicious, so I combined the two recipes and added
a twist of my own.
If you can’t stand
the heat, stay out of
the kitchen.
Floortje Bruijns studied Nutrition and Dietetics and now focuses her professional life on
everything that has to do with food. As she says, food makes her more than happy.
For nonstopfresh magazine, she covers a range of food-related topics and treats us to some
surprising and mouth-watering recipes! This time, her ingredient of choice is the Madame
Jeanette pepper, which might be the hottest pepper on record. Do you have what it takes to
use the Madame Jeanette pepper in your cooking, just like Floortje?
Saoto (serves 4–6)
Ingredients for the stock
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp Madame Jeanette oil
• 2 chicken legs
• 2 medium-sized onions,
finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 cm piece of galangal,
peeled and sliced
• 4 cm piece of ginger,
peeled and sliced
• 2 lemon grass stems, lightly crushed
• 2 salam leaves
(Indonesian bay leaves)
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 4 Maggi stock cubes (square packet)
Ingredients for the garnish
• 4–6 boiled eggs
• 375 g boiled pandan rice
• 500 g bean sprouts
• 400 g baby broccoli,
cut lengthwise
• Sambal goreng kentang
(best bought from your local toko)
• Sweet soy sauce
Utensils
• Pan with a content of
at least 4 litres
• Sieve
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
Method
Put a large pan on a medium-high heat and heat up the
sunflower oil. Brown the chicken legs. Remove the
chicken legs from the pan.
Heat the Madame Jeanette oil in the same pan, then sauté
the onions, garlic, galangal and ginger, adding a little salt
to taste. As soon as you can smell the onions and the
other ingredients, add the chicken legs back to the pan.
Pour in 2.5 litres of water, then add the lemon grass,
salam leaves, allspice berries and Maggi cubes. Bring to
the boil.
When the soup starts boiling, turn the heat down and leave
to simmer for one hour. Remove the chicken legs from the
pan and leave to cool off. Pick the chicken meat from the
bones and set aside. The bones and skin can be discarded.
Leave the soup to simmer while preparing the garnish.
Boil the eggs to your liking – hard, soft or anything in
between, it’s your call. Cook the rice as per the
instructions on the packaging. Briefly stir-fry the baby
broccoli, using the Madame Jeanette oil if you’re feeling
brave or sunflower oil if not, and add salt to taste.
Then it’s time to strain the stock. Insert the sieve into
another large pan or bowl and strain the stock through it.
Return the stock to the heat and reheat until just
below boiling.
Slice the eggs in half. Arrange the eggs, rice, bean sprouts,
baby broccoli and chicken in soup bowls. Pour the hot
stock on top and finish with a dash of sweet soy sauce
and the crispy kentang.
nonstop
fresh/ 37

The world of Aartsen
read the latest news.
Organic certification
for Aartsen
St. Katelijne-Waver.
As of now, our Frugro branch is also certified to sell the range of organic fruit and
vegetables. This means that all of our branches are now allowed to trade in organic
produce. Team Frugro is looking forward to including the first fresh, organic produce
to the wide range of fruit and vegetables!
MAMBA truck
on the road!
A nonstopfresh MAMBA truck is on the road in
Malaysia! MAMBA supplies us with delicious produce
– especially citrus, grapes, squash, stone fruit and
hard fruit – from Africa all year round.
Fresh arrival:
the first Zespri kiwis
at Aartsen.
On Thursday 22 April, the first Zespri SunGold kiwis arrived at Aartsen.
In May, organic Zespri SunGold kiwis, Zespri green kiwis and organic Zespri
green kiwis were also added, completing the Zespri kiwi range. This was a
momentous occasion for Aartsen, as new Zespri distributor in the Netherlands.
In the first week, we raised a glass together with our customers, partners,
staff and business relations in order to celebrate.
Thanks to the partnership with Aartsen, Zespri will expand its market reach
in the Netherlands, and together the parties will be able to improve product
availability and service to the customers. This will allow Aartsen and Zespri to
realise their shared ambitions and will ensure that the market for kiwis in the
Netherlands grows even further.
Aartsen is very proud to be able to work together with this global brand.
We have been claiming for years that if necessary, Aartsen can even make
kiwis fly. Together with Zespri, we now have the chance to prove and
realise this ambition.
IFS
certification
awarded.
Aartsen has concluded the IFS audit with a positive result.
This is a wonderful achievement for all of us, but for the QA team
in particular, which has been hard at work for the past
months to achieve this result.
Aartsen
MINI family.
The Aartsen MINI family has been joined by another
newcomer. Our nonstopfresh talent Kelly is now the
proud owner of a brand-new MINI. It's so great to see all of
these true chievers in their wonderful Aartsen MINIS. We wish
Kelly a great time and many safe kilometres on the road!
Nadi Faas
promotion - AKF.
For over a year and a half now, Nadi has been the face of Aartsen
Kids Foundation. She is now ready to take the next step in the team.
Due to Caroline Jongerius resigning from the foundation board, a new
board member is needed. Nadi is excited to take up the challenge and
will be taking on her new role with just as much enthusiasm. We wish
her the best of luck and lots of fun!

Together
we grow.
Aartsen continues to grow. The four branches are busier than ever, with renovations, expansions and
moves taking place regularly. In the previous edition, we let you know that we have no fewer than
four new colleagues reinforcing our team in Hong Kong. We can now tell you that the total number of
employees currently exceeds 225. This is a tremendous growth for Aartsen, all intended to ensure that
we can continue to provide the best service to all our partners. This is not the end of the road, however:
Aartsen continues to seek ambitious individuals with passion, ones who want to achieve something
and have the drive to do so. We are constantly looking to expand our commercial and logistics
department.
Guest column
What does
‘having guts’
mean?
Ellen Gerritsen is a mother of three,
PR manager at Handmade Product
Invention Lab in Amsterdam and
director of No Guts No Glory,
a foundation that organises special
events and makes wishes come
true for people with cancer and
their informal caregivers.
No Guts No Glory is so called, because my
brother really enjoyed the song of that name by
the band Bolt Thrower and he believed in the
message that it conveys. After all, you will
achieve nothing if you don’t have guts. But what
does that mean, ‘having guts’? To some people,
it might mean getting a completely different
haircut, while to others it could involve such wild
adventures as bungee jumping or jacking it all in
to start a new life on the other side of the world.
Psssstt ...
We have news for you. Behind the scenes, we are busy innovating,
improving and refreshing. This is why we are also developing an
Aartsen App to optimise and digitise various internal processes.
To be continued ...
But what does ‘having guts’ mean to me?
During my time as an aid worker in conflict zones,
I was once stopped by soldiers at a border
crossing. Did it take guts to take out my public
transport chip card and start waving it around,
shouting that it was a press card? Or was I being
stupid and lucky that they waved me through?
Did it take guts to enter a toy shop with my
excitable toddler twins, even though I had told
them not to touch anything? (Spoiler alert: yes).
After 10 years of working for No Guts No Glory,
the expression has taken on a different meaning
– as it was always likely do when you spend a lot
of time talking to people, mostly young people,
who are very ill and know that they’re dying.
It turned out that ‘having guts’ could mean so
much more, like having the courage to stop
treatment, because your body can no longer
cope. That’s an incredibly though decision,
but it has nothing to do with ‘giving up the fight’.
On the contrary, it allows you to stay in control.
It also takes guts to want to put everything right
and seek closure before you go, to indicate that
you need help and – above all – to accept help.
250
years
When I held my brother in my arms in the hospice,
listening to music with my family and knowing that
it was over, I somehow found it within myself to
say: ‘I’m holding you, but also letting go. You can
go now, darling.’ And that’s when he died. In that
moment, I knew what ‘having guts’ meant to me:
the courage to let go, out of love.
Anniversaries.
Grow your career together with Aartsen.
On 30 September 2021, we will reach a
juncture where we have no fewer than ten
employees who, within the space of a year,
will all have been working here for 25 years.
Together, they will represent 250 years of
Aartsen, which is quite special. So we would
like to commemorate this in a special way
too, and not let this go unmarked.
To be continued...
Angelo Toma
30 years - 25 March 2021
Noël Geutjes
25 years - 3 June 2021
Ever since, I have felt that the key to having guts
is the ability let go. If you are able to let go of the
opinion of others, you will be able to make your
own choice. If you are able to let go of your
doubts and fears, you will be able to chase your
dreams. If you are able to let go of the
expectations of your parents, your partner or
whoever else, you will be able to do the things
you really want to do and be who you want to be.
That’s how having guts can lead
to a great life full of glory!
nonstop
fresh/ 41

guts
stories
Marc de
Bondt Quality
Assurance
Aartsen Breda.
What is the IFS certification scheme?
The GFSI – Global Food Safety Initiative – has officially
recognised a number of certification programmes for the
fresh produce sector, like the BRC, FSSC2000 and IFS.
Broadly speaking, the IFS certification scheme evaluates
companies’ quality systems for assuring food safety.
During an audit, they test if Aartsen's processes meet
IFS standards. The benefit of having a certification like
IFS is that it's recognised worldwide.
What challenge did you face?
In November, I let the organisation know an IFS
audit was coming up and that I'd be willing to do
the groundwork for the audit. And they gave me
that opportunity.
Was this a logical fit for you?
I enjoy problem-solving and it's challenging and fun
to work on these issues at a higher level. During the
process, I read up on certification standards and had
to get to grips with virtually all of Aartsen's internal
processes. But we'd been certified in 2020, so the
foundation was already there. My colleagues
and I made sure improvements were made
where needed, to give even better food safety
guarantees. Ensuring food safety is something
we've all got to do together.
You dove in with no doubts
or reservations?
Yep, I threw myself right into the project.
In November, I started getting things ready
for the audit in January. Next to my regular
duties, of course. For me, this represented an
opportunity to develop, and I'd do it again,
no question. I work on product quality and
quality in the broadest sense of the word –
that's the best of both worlds.
What did you get out of
this project?
First of all, we scored well on the audit.
What I myself got out of it is more depth.
I put myself forward and really wanted to
step up to the plate. That made an important
practical difference for Aartsen and meant
personal development for me. It's put me
on a clear course in my professional career.
I want to continue developing and I think
this IFS audit was the first step.
nonstop
fresh/ 43

You grow
oranges_
Grower Sunkist
Together
we can grow.
We are proud working together with a brand
that is so close to our nonstopfresh ambition.
For years now we tell our partners that we go
the extra mile for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Now it is time to make the next steps.
Lets grow together.
Can we
grow your
market
share?
nonstop
fresh/ 45

Asia column
Menno van Breemen
Managing Director Aartsen Asia in Hong Kong
‘From
country to
country’
with
Aartsen
Asia.
'Guts' is a theme that perfectly
embodies Aartsen. After all, no
guts, no glory! We do not shrink
from a challenge and believe
that a healthy dose of guts, a
solid strategy and a clear vision
will take you all the way!
'Aartsen Goes Asia'. In 2012, when we joined
hands and set up Aartsen Asia, we broke the
news to the world with the words,
'Never afraid of a challenge, we are confident
we can extend our business to the Far East.'
As we have said many times before, we often
try to do things differently and we like to
blaze our own trails. We do not like to copy
others and we follow our own strategy.
Guts in business
What on earth is Aartsen doing in Asia?
Things work completely differently there, and
success does not come easy by any means!
When we set up Aartsen Asia in 2012, besides
the many positive messages, we also
received a lot of surprised reactions and
extremely tough questions. 'Today is difficult.
Tomorrow is much more difficult. The day
after tomorrow is very beautiful, but still most
die tomorrow evening.' There is a grain of
truth in this Chinese saying, but it is simply
a question of having the guts to keep going
where others give up, or to do things
differently and keep plugging away when
times get hard.
We have faced many challenges, such as the
ERP system that we developed ourselves, the
expansion of the various Aartsen locations or
the step towards Asia. Each time, our team
had the guts to step up to the plate. Our team
is continually learning, improving and evolving
and has the guts to face the future. Our team
speaks the local languages and understands
the cultures. We want to be known as a gutsy
team that is prepared for the future and ready
to grow together with our partners.
Two factors that people often forget, despite
being crucial in our industry, are respect and
good relations. After all, it also takes guts to be
gentle and kind.
Guts in everyday life
Many people are subconsciously aware that,
if you truly want to achieve something, you
must have the guts to do everything you can
to realise your goal. In everyday life, people
often show guts without knowing it, such as
standing up for what you believe in at work,
gutsy decisions or actions when participating
in sport, having the courage to speak your
mind, persevering with a long-distance
relationship or, as a toddler, having the guts
to manipulate your parents into forgiving you
despite having driven them to the edge of sanity
(I have first-hand experience of the latter!).
When I look back over the past few years,
I can think of countless examples of our
team demonstrating guts during the various
trips to Asia. Examples include the Korean
tradition of eating live squid (which can
attach itself to the inside of your throat by
its suckers!), eating various parts of a snake
(including the bladder) or tasting century
eggs: eggs preserved in a mixture of clay,
salt, quicklime and rice for over three months!
Or what about the fish dish Yin Yang, also
known as the 'dead and alive fish'? The body
of the fish is cooked, but the head is left raw
and continues to move. In China, if you are
an important visitor or if you are the boss,
you will often end up with the fish head on
your plate. No guts, no glory, I guess!
The big move
Who would have thought we would be living
and working in Asia for over 11 years?
And who would have thought that we would
ever enter the world of fruit and veg? Even at
the time, the move to Shanghai and Hong
Kong was a brave and challenging step.
It took guts, but we had the support of our
families, and my then girlfriend (now my wife)
and I make an outstanding team. It is the best
decision we've ever made. Getting to know
new cultures, people, customs and traditions
really shapes who you are as a person. We feel
very privileged to have had this experience
and are extremely grateful. You may have
recently read that we are making the move back
to Europe, which is another decision that takes
guts. Our children grew up in Hong Kong,
and it was our happy home for many years.
Still, the time has come to return to our
original home. However, this does not mean
that Aartsen Asia will get anything less than
my full focus and commitment: Aartsen Asia
truly is my passion and my life. Our goals are
as ambitious as they have ever been, and we
will do everything we can to achieve them,
with my team in Hong Kong and myself in
Breda. No guts, no glory! Together with our
partners throughout the world, there is so
much for us to do in the next few years.
Keep growing!
Color
The next edition will be the most
colourful ever, full of vibrant ideas from Aartsen
and our partners. We will discuss how, together,
we ensure that we are and remain the biggest
gateway for fruit and vegetables, as well as how
we apply our nonstopfresh mentality to perform
ful.Colourful.
better than anyone else, day in, day out.
NXT
Expected december 2021.
nonstop
fresh/ 47

Heartland a trusted
partner since 2005.
Be like an apple tree.
Stay grounded.
Stay together.
Keep growing.