Van der Zee

What Van der Zee does

Van der Zee Vleesgrootverbruik B.V., operating under the trade name Ambachtelijke Slager Van der Zee, is a Netherlands-based artisanal meat processor and supplier founded in 1925 and headquartered in Emmen. The company functions as the exclusive professional butcher inside all HANOS cash-and-carry wholesale locations across the Netherlands (18 sites) and Belgium (2 sites), providing on-site fresh meat cutting, charcuterie, dried sausages, convenience products, and an extensive portfolio of 25+ specialty meat concepts (including Japanese Wagyu, Ibérico pork, Swedish Gårdsgris, Gaasterlander Kruidenvarken, and regional Dutch breeds). Production is anchored at the Emmen headquarters and a second production/distribution site in Twello (~100-110 employees), supported by an in-house worstmakerij (sausage factory) that applies traditional recipes with modern techniques — cooking, sous-vide, roasting, smoking, drying, and salting.

The revenue model is wholesale B2B. Products are sold exclusively through HANOS to professional hospitality buyers (restaurants, hotels, cafes) and through partner Distrivers to hospitals and care institutions; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is wholly owned by Weca Holding, which itself sits within the HANOS corporate group since 2007, making it structurally a captive butcher arm of the larger Dutch hospitality wholesaler; no private equity or venture backing is evident. New commercial extensions include the Van der Zee Vegan sub-brand, a Redefine Meat partnership for plant-based 'New Meat' assortments, and an organic/responsible range under the IK KOOK BEWUST umbrella.

Operationally, the firm runs chef-slager advisory services for Horeca customers per season, an internal quality department handling allergens, nutritional values and microbiology, and a marketing and new-business function based in Hoogeveen. Headcount is in the 251-500 range, and the company is active on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram with an extensive Dutch-language recipe and preparation content library. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no APIs, no documented technology stack beyond standard e-commerce and content marketing tooling, and no recent funding rounds, M&A, or public listing.

Name

Van der Zee

Legal name

Van der Zee Vleesgrootverbruik B.V.

Website

https://vanderzee.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Van der Zee is a Netherlands-based artisanal meat processor and supplier, founded in 1925, that operates as the exclusive butcher inside all HANOS wholesale locations across the Netherlands and Belgium, serving hospitality professionals and, via Distrivers, hospitals and care institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meat Processing and Wholesale Butchery

NAICS

Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Meat Retailers (445240)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFANAEAC

Sausage Manufacturing (Fresh, Cooked, Fermented, Emulsified)

Agriculture & Food Production/Meat, Poultry & Seafood Processing/Meat Further Processing (Cured, Smoked, Deli Meats, Sausages)

SECONDARYCRAHAHAB

Butcher Shops & Meat Markets

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Fresh Food Specialists (Produce, Meat, Seafood)

SECONDARYAFANAKAA

Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands)

Agriculture & Food Production/Meat, Poultry & Seafood Processing/Meat Alternatives (Plant-Based and Cultivated)

SECONDARYAFANAEAG

Hot Dogs, Frankfurters & Bologna (Emulsified/Comminuted Meats)

Agriculture & Food Production/Meat, Poultry & Seafood Processing/Meat Further Processing (Cured, Smoked, Deli Meats, Sausages)

Keywords

• Artisanal meat processing
• Wholesale butcher supply
• Premium meat concepts
• Sausage production
• Hospitality meat supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Meat Sales to Hospitality: Van der Zee operates artisanal butcher counters within HANOS wholesale locations throughout the Netherlands and Belgium, selling premium quality meat and charcuterie to professional chefs and hospitality businesses.
2. Healthcare Meat Supply: Products are supplied to hospitals and care institutions through partnership with Distrivers, providing prepared meat products and meals.
3. Own Sausage Factory Products: Proprietary specialty products including dried sausages, processed meats, and convenience foods sold exclusively through HANOS and Distrivers distribution channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van der Zee is an artisanal butcher and meat processor that produces fresh meat, charcuterie, dried and smoked sausages, and convenience products at facilities in Emmen and Twello. The company operates its own sausage factory (worstmakerij) and sells its products exclusively through butcher counters in HANOS wholesale locations across the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as through partner Distrivers to hospitals and care institutions. It serves professional hospitality buyers with an extensive portfolio of regional Dutch and international meat concepts combined with seasonal advisory from chef-slagers.

Product overview

Van der Zee is an artisanal butcher operating as the professional butcher division of HANOS, serving the hospitality and institutional markets in the Netherlands and Belgium. The company offers a unified platform of meat products and services organized around several core pillars: (1) Fresh meat cut to order by skilled butchers, (2) Own sausage-making facility (worstmakerij) producing dried sausages, smoked products, and convenience items, (3) An extensive portfolio of 25+ specialty meat concepts including Wagyu beef (Japanese and crossbred varieties), Australian/Canadian/American grain-fed beef, Swedish farm pork, Gaasterlander Kruidenvarken, Ibérico pork, UK lamb, and regional Dutch products like Regiorunderen, and (4) A growing plant-based line under the Van der Zee Vegan brand and Redefine Meat partnership. Products are distributed exclusively through HANOS locations and Distrivers for institutional customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Van der Zee Vegan: 100% plant-based meat alternatives brand offering vegan products including burgers, sausages, minced meat, and bacon substitutes.
• Van der Zee Worstmakerij

Products and services

• Vers vlees (Fresh Meat)

Quantifiable outcome

• Products available in 18 HANOS wholesale locations across Netherlands and Belgium

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HANOScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVan der Zee is the exclusive artisanal butcher for HANOS wholesale. Van der Zee operates butcher counters in all HANOS locations throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. Products are available exclusively through HANOS and include fresh meat cut to order, charcuterie, dried sausages, convenience products, and specialty regional and international meat concepts.
• DistriverscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVan der Zee supplies products to hospitals and care institutions through partnership with Distrivers. Products include prepared meat products and meals for healthcare nutrition, with Van der Zee also preparing specific cuts like sukade pieces, beef portions, and pork shoulder for patient meals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ad van Geloven: Dutch processed-meat and sausage manufacturer specializing in horeca and retail meat products. Highly comparable operating model: own production of sausages and processed meats distributed through Dutch foodservice channels, overlapping directly with Van der Zee's worstmakerij and processed meat portfolio.
• Westfort Vleeswaren: Dutch pork processor producing horeca-grade processed meats and bacon. Direct peer in Dutch processed-meat category with overlapping target customers in foodservice and retail channels.
• Zwanenberg Food Group: Dutch family-owned meat processor with a broad portfolio of sausages, hams, and ready-meat products across horeca and retail. Comparable in scale and target markets, with overlapping processed meat categories and Dutch horeca distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Danish Crown: Farmer-owned Danish meat cooperative operating across pork and beef across Europe. Compares as a broad incumbent in meat processing and processed-meat manufacturing with overlapping customer types, though it is significantly larger and more vertically integrated than Van der Zee.
• Vion Food Group: Netherlands-based global meat processor with extensive slaughtering and processing operations across Europe. Most direct Dutch category peer to Van der Zee, though Vion's scale, integrated slaughter, and broad B2B/B2C reach make it a larger incumbent versus Van der Zee's narrower horeca-butcher niche.
• Tönnies Group: Germany's largest meat processor specializing in pork, beef, and sausages. Comparable broad incumbent in meat processing with similar charcuterie and processed meat output, though primarily Germany-focused with a different distribution model than Van der Zee's HANOS-anchored approach.
• Bell Food Group: Swiss/European meat and convenience food producer with charcuterie and processed meat operations across multiple European markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in European processed meats with similar horeca/retail exposure and own-brand strategy.

Emerging players

• De Groene Weg: Dutch organic butcher chain sourced directly from organic farmers, with similar animal welfare and regional provenance focus as Van der Zee's 'IK KOOK BEWUST' assortment. Comparable as a Dutch specialty-meat brand with overlapping values-based positioning, though more retail-oriented than Van der Zee's B2B horeca model.
• Redefine Meat: Israel-based plant-based meat producer with which Van der Zee has a commercial partnership to distribute 'New Meat' in HANOS. Emerging player that intersects with Van der Zee's vegan brand strategy and represents a comparable adjacency in the alternative-protein category.

Regional players

• Handl Tyrol: Austrian regional producer of cured/smoked hams and sausages with strong hospitality focus in DACH. Compares as a regional specialty meat player with comparable artisan/processed-meat model, but operating in a different geography than Van der Zee.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Ambachtelijke-slager-Van-der-Zee-467230923334960
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/van-der-zee-vleesgrootverbruik-b-v-
• Instagraminstagram.com/ambachtelijkeslagervanderzee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Van der Zee