Vander Zijpen

What Vander Zijpen does

Vander Zijpen is a Belgian B2B wholesale food company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Asse, Belgium, specializing in fresh and processed produce. The company sources daily from growers and the Brussels auction market, then delivers via refrigerated trucks starting at 6 AM to Belgian HORECA (hotels, restaurants, catering) and institutional kitchen customers (hospitals, schools, corporate cafeterias), with secondary segments in wholesale and retail. Its product offering spans the standard five-range gamma portfolio: first-range unprocessed fruits and vegetables; second-range dry goods; third-range frozen products; fourth-range pre-cut fruits and vegetables (washed, peeled, and cut into cubes, brunoise, duxelles, slices, or strips); fifth-range pre-cooked vacuum-packed vegetables; and freshly pressed single-fruit juices. Organic (BIO) varieties and a just-in-time delivery model targeting kitchen cold storage are positioned around freshness and reduced kitchen preparation time.

Operationally, the company runs a sales-led B2B go-to-market employing a Sales Manager (Astrid Heiremans) and field sales staff (e.g., Jitse Van Eester), complemented by a call center staffed until midnight, EDI electronic ordering for enterprise buyers, and an account-verified e-commerce platform (webshop.vanderzijpen.com). Cold-chain compliance is supported by ACS VDZ dual certifications and IFS FOOD certification (Food Shakers B.V., valid through 8 March 2027), with BIO organic certification valid through 27 March 2026. The company is family-owned, led by Michel Vander Zijpen (Zaakvoerder) with Jimmy Vander Zijpen in purchasing, and operates a single domestic Belgian footprint focused on the Flanders region.

The revenue model is transaction-based B2B distribution across fresh produce, value-added pre-cut and pre-cooked products, fresh-pressed juices, and supplementary frozen, dairy, and dry goods, priced via account-based registration on the e-commerce platform or direct sales contact. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Key market risks include raw-produce price volatility, concentration on a single national market (Belgium), family-ownership succession risk, and dependence on continued HORECA sector demand cycles.

Name

Vander Zijpen

Legal name

VANDER ZIJPEN

Website

https://vanderzijpen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vander Zijpen is a Belgian B2B wholesale food company (founded 1994, Asse, Belgium) that processes, cuts, and delivers fresh fruits, vegetables, juices, and organic produce to HORECA and institutional kitchen customers via daily refrigerated trucks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Wholesale & Distribution

NAICS

Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991), Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Market / Produce Market Wholesalers (AFAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI), Produce (Fruits & Vegetables) Cold Storage & Ripening (TLALABAE)

Keywords

• Fresh produce wholesale
• Pre-cut vegetables processing
• HORECA food supply
• Cold chain delivery
• Organic fruit distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Asse

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Sale of fresh fruits, vegetables, and potatoes sourced directly from growers and Brussels auction. Revenue generated from per-transaction sales to B2B customers.
2. Value-Added Products: 4th range (pre-cut vegetables and fruits) and 5th range (pre-cooked vacuum-packed vegetables) products with higher margins. Also includes fresh-pressed fruit juices.
3. Frozen, Dry, and Dairy Products: Supplementary product categories including frozen products, dry goods, and dairy products for complete kitchen supply.
4. E-commerce Platform: Online ordering platform (webshop.vanderzijpen.com) enabling direct B2B customer orders with account registration and verification process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vander Zijpen is a Belgian wholesale fresh-produce company that sources, processes, and distributes whole and pre-cut fruits and vegetables, fresh-pressed juices, and organic (BIO) products to HORECA and institutional kitchens. Daily supply is anchored in direct sourcing from the Brussels auction and growers, supported by an on-site pre-cut processing facility (4th range), and delivered same-day via refrigerated trucks from 6 AM. Supplementary frozen, dairy, and dry goods complete the kitchen supply, with orders captured via call center, EDI, and a B2B e-commerce platform.

Product overview

Vander Zijpen is a Belgian fresh produce wholesale company serving the hotel, restaurant, catering, and institutional kitchen markets. The company operates as a single unified business offering a comprehensive range of fresh and processed agricultural products. The core product portfolio consists of five main categories: Fresh Fruits (hard, soft, and exotic varieties), Fresh Vegetables (local, forgotten, and exclusive varieties), Pre-cut Fruits & Vegetables (4th Range processing), Fresh Fruit Juices, and Organic Products. These are complemented by supplementary product lines including frozen products, dairy products, and dry goods for daily Just-In-Time kitchen delivery. The company operates an e-commerce platform (Webshop) alongside EDI ordering capabilities for B2B customers. Products are categorized into five 'gamma' ranges: first range (unprocessed fresh), second range (dry goods), third range (frozen), fourth range (fresh-packed and cut), and fifth range (pre-cooked vacuum-packed).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Fruits Fresh fruits including hard fruit, soft fruit, and exotic varieties sourced daily from growers and Brussels auction for HORECA and institutional customers.
• Fresh Vegetables Local, forgotten, and exclusive vegetables selected daily from the Brussels market, safely packed and correctly cooled for delivery to professional kitchens.
• Pre-cut Fruits & Vegetables (4th Range) Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables washed, peeled, and cut to customer specifications (cubes, brunoise, duxelles, slices, strips), packaged per type for catering and HORECA kitchens.
• Fresh Fruit Juices Freshly squeezed fruit juices — orange, grapefruit, strawberry, and mixed fruit — pressed individually, cooled, and bottled under food safety regulations for HORECA customers.
• Organic Products (Bio) Organic (BIO) fruits and vegetables sourced from growers using natural fertilizers and pest control methods, certified under the BIO VDZ/BIO FS programs.
• Frozen Products Frozen food products available for daily and Just-In-Time delivery to professional kitchens alongside fresh produce.
• Dairy Products Dairy products available for daily and Just-In-Time delivery to professional kitchens as part of the one-stop supply assortment.
• Dry Products Dry goods available for daily and Just-In-Time delivery to professional kitchens as part of the comprehensive kitchen supply offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produce stays fresh longer due to short farm-to-customer journey

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sligro Food Group: Dutch foodservice wholesaler serving hotels, restaurants, and catering across the Benelux with broad assortment including fresh produce. Comparable on HORECA wholesale and multi-channel B2B ordering, but much larger and broader-portfolio.
• Dole plc: Global fresh produce grower-distributor with diversified fresh fruit and vegetable operations across retail and foodservice. Comparable on wholesale produce distribution, though at vastly larger scale and global footprint.
• McCain Foods: Global frozen foodservice and retail supplier of pre-prepared potatoes and vegetables. Comparable on foodservice value-added produce (5th range pre-cooked), though a much larger multi-national player.

Regional players

• Metro Belgium: Belgian cash-and-carry and foodservice arm of the Metro group supplying HORECA across broad fresh and dry assortment. Comparable HORECA customer base and refrigerated delivery, though different self-service sales model.

Direct peers

• Bidfood Belgium: Belgian foodservice distributor supplying restaurants, hotels, and caterers with fresh, frozen, dry, and dairy products. Directly comparable on HORECA wholesale channel and multi-channel B2B ordering infrastructure.
• Hanos: Dutch-Benelux foodservice wholesaler with a Belgian presence supplying HORECA with fresh produce, dry, frozen, and dairy. Comparable on multi-category HORECA distribution and refrigerated delivery to professional kitchens.
• Bonduelle: French-headquartered global leader in canned, frozen, and fresh-cut vegetables sold to retail and foodservice. Directly comparable on the 4th/5th range value-added processing offering and HORECA channel.
• Special Fruit: Belgian fresh and exotic fruit specialist supplying pre-cut fruit and produce to European foodservice and retail. Closely comparable on fresh-cut processing capability and HORECA-channel focus.
• Greenyard: Belgian-headquartered fresh, frozen, and prepared-produce supplier serving retail and foodservice across Europe. Closely comparable on fresh-produce wholesale and value-added processing, though larger and more geographically diversified.

Emerging players

• Ardo: Belgian frozen and fresh vegetable supplier serving retail and foodservice across Europe. Overlaps on the value-added vegetable side (fresh and frozen) and HORECA channel, though anchored more in frozen than in refrigerated fresh.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/328244307909471

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Vander Zijpen