That this is a challenging potato year has not gone unnoticed. At Van der Kroon Aardappelhandel in Purmerend, it is generating many questions from customers. "Everyone has read in the media that potatoes are worth nothing. Then it becomes quite difficult to explain to customers that you cannot deliver for a few cents, because the Agrias we buy for regular chip shops are simply not feed potatoes," says Sem van der Kroon, who, as a fourth-generation representative of the family business, supplies chip shops, institutions, and wholesalers with potatoes for fries.
In 2024, the company moved to new premises in Purmerend, and this year, the potato business also acquired the neighbouring premises, which are larger than its own location. "We work with racks and therefore have good storage capacity. Because there are a lot of potatoes this year, we can be selective about quality. There are quite a few lots with grubbing damage and especially pressure spots, but the large supply allows us to select very strictly this year. For instance, we work exclusively with potatoes from crate storage. For fries, we work 99.9% with Agrias."
© John van der Kroon
Fries business booming
Van der Kroon mainly supplies larger chip shops and catering suppliers. "At all the major chip shops in the Amsterdam region, we are well known. In recent years, Amsterdam's chip shops have really been booming. Unfortunately, licences are hardly issued anymore, and it has become almost impossible to open a business in the city centre," says Sem. "Therefore, the hype remains, but is shifting more towards areas outside the city."
In this regard, the potato business is not only focused on the Netherlands, but increasingly on international markets. "We export to countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, but also to Dubai. Many potato traders supply Dutch onion exporters, but we do everything ourselves. We started exporting washed potatoes at one point, and that has grown steadily over time. The moment customers from the other side of the world come here, you suddenly realise that things are becoming serious," Sem laughs. "With this, our market potential has increased substantially."
© John van der Kroon Aardappelhandel
"Our modern location and the resources we work with, for example, eight vehicles on the road, allow us to do what we do best: supplying our customers with high-quality potatoes for fries, especially in large volumes," says Sem. Looking ahead to the new potato season, he remains cautious. "Regular potato farmers will continue to grow, but perhaps to a lesser extent. Hopefully, we will not have another season like this one, because that is not good for anyone."
"The advantage is that we can offer our customers a wide range. Fries potatoes are our main product, but customers can come to us for a full assortment of potatoes, from Opperdoezer Ronde and Doré to Bildtstar or Andijker Muizen. We have grown considerably in washed bantams in recent years, but we also supply onions and garlic. If customers are interested in yellow or purple carrots or even sauerkraut, we make sure we can provide those as well."
© John van der Kroon AardappelhandelFor more information:
Van der Kroon Aardappelhandel
Binnenzeestraat 26
1446 AB Purmerend
Tel: +31 (0) 6 113 102 17
[email protected]
www.johnvanderkroon.nl
