Raafat Youssef (left) and his colleague show Swedish raspberries.
“We started this year in Helsingborg,” says Raafat Youssef. New cold storage rooms are still being built at the company’s premises at the end of the city. These will be used for, among other things, the cash-and-carry section. The site is 2 400 square metres big. “Between 2014 and 2016, there was an influx of immigrants to Sweden”, he says. There are supermarkets and retailers in Sweden, just as in many other countries, who focus on the immigrant population. There was, however, a vacuum on the wholesaler side of things. This is where Ray Fruit Import AB stepped in.
Albanian tomatoes
“We have a wide range,” continues Raafat. “We do direct imports. These include clementines, oranges and tomatoes from Morocco, sweet peppers from Turkey, and mini cucumbers from Jordan.” The importer also works with Dutch traders. This season, for the first time, Albanian tomatoes were imported to Sweden. “In week 41, two trucks arrived, and in the following week, two more”, says Raafat. These tomatoes have a good price-quality balance, he explains. “They cost half of what Dutch tomatoes cost, based on current market situation.”
Turkish imports
It takes a truck, with two drivers, five days to make the 4 000 to 4 500 kilometre trip from Turkey. “It arrives in very good conditions as long as the temperature is set correctly before the trucks are loaded.” The Turkish supply reaches its peak in the winter for vegetables. In the summer Turkish cherries are brought in, which is an “essential product for our market, as complementary to Spanish and Italian Cherries. We are starting now with Turkish pomegranate variety Hicaz-Wonderful.”
Arabic range
This wholesalers’ range is adapted according to its target group’s wishes. There are many products, that are considered to be exotic by European standards, standing in their warehouses. These include dates, as well as pomegranates and herbs. “Arabic cuisines use a lot of fresh herbs, which explains the large bushels. The supermarkets are also starting to work with these products. They have adjusted to Arabic customs over the last few years.” The majority of the range is, clearly, focused on the Arabic consumer. “We do have some Asian products, such as dragon fruit, but they are mostly supplied to restaurants.”
Ray Fruit Import AB comprises of three sections, of which the import office is the newest addition. The company began five years ago in Helsingborg as a supplier to the catering industry. “We have more than 200 clients in the catering industry, and in food shops in Skane, which is in Southern Sweden,” he says. “We are present as well in the Goteborg wholesale Market, with our sister company Ray Fruit AB. A Cash-and-carry company focused on quality and specialized in Goteborg market; offering wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables, with a daily fresh arrival.”
More information:
Ray Fruit Import AB
Raafat Youssef
EKVÄNDAN 1
Helsingborg 254 67- Sweden
+46 (0)700 488 448
info@rayfruit.se
www.rayfruit.se