During the London Produce Show, a new Dutch company presented itself on the European market: EatMeFresh. Although the company was founded this year, owner Sahap Kandemir has more than 25 years of experience in the logistics sector, and his business partner, organic engineer Erdem Afacan, has been active in Turkish production for years. Zeynep Tilki complements the duo with her background in business and is responsible for international sales. “We’re now still operating from various locations, but the aim is to move into a cold store in the Rotterdam region before the end of the year.”
The company wants to be distinctive with Turkish products, and primarily with organic products. During the months of August and September, EatMeFresh supplies black Bursa figs, which are known for their geographical name designating their origin. From October to January, the importer supplies organic pomegranates, and these are then available from cold store until April. The figs are supplied under the Miss Fig brand, the pomegranates under the Red Cheeks brand. Besides loose pomegranates, the pips are also sold loose, and EatMeFresh supplies these with a dressing as well.
“Conventional Turkish pomegranates are readily available on the market, but organic pomegranates are a lot more difficult to come by. The share of organic products is still relatively low in European retail at the moment, but because consumers are becoming more aware, we expect this demand to increase considerably in the coming years,” Zeynep says. “We want to expand our range eventually, but we first want to put these products on the market properly.”
Zeynep Tilki, Sahap and Kemal Kandemir during the fair in London
Zeynep enjoyed the participation in the London Produce Show. “Turnout could’ve been better, but we made good contacts with international companies. Not just Dutch people showed interest, so did people from elsewhere in the Europe and in Canada. We are happy to offer interested parties the option of ordering a few trial pallets, so that people can get to know our products and our service.”
For more information:
Zeynep Tilki MSc BA
EatMeFresh
T: +31 6 40 78 33 09
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
zeynep@eat-me-fresh.com
www.eat-me-fresh.com