"There's been an increasing demand for unroasted nuts in recent years. However, our fresh, roasted nuts are still selling well," says Marijn Koppejan of Koppejan Noten. This Dutch company focuses on dried fruit and sales to not only independent supermarkets and specialty stores. They also sell to greengrocers, farm stores, and hospitality businesses. "We're very positive on the whole," he says.
Despite what Marijn would have preferred, eatery closures explain part of the growth. That means people still want to eat well at home. Nuts' health aspect also plays a role in these corona times, notes the nut merchant. "The demand for muesli and granola is also on the rise. Consumers are more health-conscious. And they're increasingly eating nuts as a healthy snack at different times."
Cashews
Cashews remain one of Koppejan Noten's best sellers. It roasts, seasons, packages and adds these to mixes in-house. "It's our best-selling nut because it's popular and goes well with many mixes," says Marijn. Dried fruit-wise, cranberries, apricots, and Turkish figs play a significant role.
Challenge
He notes that general costs are rising. "Many products are or will become more expensive. There's global turmoil, and dried fruit and nut prices constantly change. When the pandemic broke out, prices fell. But now, most products' prices have risen again. You can add inflation and rising logistics costs to that." The latter is especially challenging, says Koppejan.
"In these uncertain times, it's quite a problem to get products in on time by sea container." Marijn thinks the current situation will continue for some time. He does not expect freight costs to decrease in the coming months. "Despite these challenges, we're doing everything we can to maintain our total picture of quality, service, and delivering as agreed. We're, of course, hoping for another nice growth this year," he concludes.
Koppejan Noten B.V.
De Spil 50
3774 SE Kootwijkerbroek
Tel: 0342-408944
info@koppejannoten.nl
www.koppejannoten.nl