What Vewi does

VEWI is a Belgian family-owned prepared-meals manufacturer headquartered in Pont-à-Celles, Belgium, founded in 1979 by Raphaël Vermeiren and Brigitte Willame originally as a chicory farm and rebranded in 1990 around sous-vide prepared dishes (the company name is derived from the founders' surnames). Since the mid-1990s the company has pivoted fully into industrial prepared-food production, operating from a single production site and serving a horizontal B2B customer base that includes large retail chains (GMS), restaurants, hotels, hospitals, institutional caterers, event caterers, and meal-delivery operators across Belgium with stated international ambitions.

The product portfolio centers on eight categories: individual microwavable prepared meals, ready-to-use sauces (200g to 2.5kg), meat preparations in sauce (e.g., boeuf bourguignon, blanquette de veau), vegetables and starches, soups (up to 2.5L), gourmet/seasonal dishes (game, shellfish, duck), custom recipe development ("A la demande"), and multiple packaging formats. Core technology rests on pasteurization for shelf-life extension and low-temperature cooking to preserve color, flavor, and micronutrients, supported by continuous R&D in recipes and packaging materials. Production has been FSSC22000-certified since February 2008 and operates under a Belgian self-control system for traceability and hygiene.

VEWI operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market with quote-based, contract-driven pricing tied to client volumes and customization. The company is family-managed across two generations (daughters Aline in marketing and Julie in finance, plus Julie's husband Jonathan who joined in 2023), with no disclosed external funding, M&A, or institutional ownership. Growth is funded organically and is supported by a 2024 production-site expansion plan to add capacity and flexibility. The company has also launched a new AI-assisted website in April 2025 in collaboration with an external vendor, signaling modest digital-channel investment.

Name

Vewi

Legal name

VEWI

Website

https://vewi.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vewi is a Belgian family-owned B2B prepared-meals manufacturer serving foodservice, retail, healthcare, hospitality, catering, and meal-delivery clients with pasteurized, clean-label dishes, sauces, soups, and custom recipe development from its Pont-à-Celles facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prepared Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prepared soups, stews & chili manufacturing (AFAKAHAJ), Prepared Meat Meals (RTE/RTH) (AFANAFAA), Prepared Meat & Seafood Entrées with Sides (Complete Meals) (AFANAFAI)

Keywords

• Prepared meals
• Food manufacturing
• Culinary sauces
• Institutional catering
• Ready-to-eat foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Obaix

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Prepared Food Products: VEWI generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of prepared dishes including individual meals, sauces, meat preparations, vegetables, starches, soups, and gourmet products. The company offers custom recipe development and manufactures products on-demand for professional clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

VEWI manufactures and sells prepared dishes — including individual microwavable meals, sauces, meat preparations, vegetables and starches, soups, and gourmet celebration dishes — for professional foodservice clients such as restaurants, hospitals, hotels, caterers, meal-delivery operators, and large retail chains. The company uses pasteurization and low-temperature cooking to deliver 100% natural, additive-free products, and offers custom recipe development and multiple packaging formats on demand.

Product overview

VEWI is a family-owned Belgian company specializing in prepared meals that combines tradition and innovation. The product portfolio centers on eight main categories: individual prepared meals in microwavable trays, a wide range of sauces (pasta, meat, and fish varieties), meat preparations in sauce using low-temperature cooking, vegetables and starches (mashed potatoes, gratins, cooked vegetables), soups, and gourmet/celebration dishes (game, shellfish, seasonal specialties). The company also offers custom product development ('A la demande') for bespoke recipes and multiple packaging formats. All products emphasize natural ingredients, no preservatives, and quality through their FSSC22000-certified production process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Prepared Meals (Plats préparés individuels) Individual prepared meals packaged in single-serving trays that are microwavable in minutes, with gourmet balanced recipes ready to reheat. Targeted at professional foodservice clients such as restaurants, hotels, caterers, and meal delivery operators.
• Sauces
• Meat Preparations in Sauce (Préparation viande en sauce)
• Vegetables and Starches (Légumes et féculents)
• Soups (Potages)
• Gourmet Dishes (Plats gastronomiques)
• Custom Product Development (A la demande)
• Packaging Options (Conditionnements)

Quantifiable outcome

• Shelf life extension through pasteurization without artificial additives

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bonduelle: France-headquartered global prepared and preserved vegetable manufacturer with broad retail and foodservice channels. Comparable on the prepared/preserved vegetable and ready-meal side of VEWI's portfolio, though at far greater scale and with consumer brand reach.
• Nestlé Professional: Nestlé's out-of-home foodservice division offering sauces, soups, prepared dishes and beverages to restaurants, hotels and institutions globally. Overlaps with VEWI on sauces, prepared meals and institutional/hospital channels at much greater scale.
• Findus Group: Pan-European frozen food manufacturer with a strong prepared-meals and seafood portfolio sold through retail and foodservice. Overlaps with VEWI on prepared entrées and meat/fish in sauce, though at materially larger scale and with frozen (not chilled pasteurized) technology.
• Marie (Sundial Brands): Established prepared-meals brand (originally UK-founded) offering ready meals across retail and foodservice. Comparable on ready-meal category and quality positioning, though Marie is larger and more retail-branded than VEWI.
• McCain Foods: Global frozen prepared-foods incumbent (frozen meals, vegetables, potato specialties) serving both retail and foodservice. Comparable on the frozen prepared-meals category adjacent to VEWI's microwavable individual meal trays.
• Brake France (Sysco): French arm of Sysco, one of Europe's largest foodservice distributors supplying restaurants, hospitals and caterers with prepared and ambient products. Comparable to VEWI on B2B foodservice customer base and product breadth, though as a distributor rather than primary manufacturer.

Direct peers

• Ter Beke: Belgian-listed manufacturer of fresh prepared meals, sliced meats and pasta sauces, selling primarily to European retail and foodservice. Most direct comparable to VEWI on geography, B2B prepared-meals focus, and product mix (sauces, ready meals, meat preparations).
• Davigel (Brake Group): French B2B foodservice supplier specializing in prepared meals, sauces, starters and frozen products for restaurants and institutional catering. Direct comparable to VEWI in channel (B2B foodservice), product format (pasteurized prepared dishes) and customer type.

Regional players

• Delitraiteur: Belgian prepared-meals and traiteur brand sold through a franchised retail network of grab-and-go counters. Comparable to VEWI on prepared-meal category and Belgian focus, but operates retail counters rather than the B2B manufacturing model.
• Flandria: Belgian cooperative of vegetable producers and processors supplying fresh and prepared vegetable products domestically and abroad. Comparable to VEWI on Belgian origin, B2B foodservice supply and vegetable-based prepared-product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vewi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Vewi