Vishandel Tel

What Vishandel Tel does

Vishandel Tel is a Netherlands-based seafood trading company founded in 1948, registered as Firma Tel (K.v.K. 36045576). The company operates three integrated channels: wholesale distribution from its IJmuiden headquarters, retail fish shops (currently the Kloveniersburgwal location in Amsterdam's Chinatown, after the Halkade IJmuiden shop closed on December 29, 2024), and a HORECA seafood delivery service supplying restaurants and caterers across the Netherlands. It self-describes as one of the largest importers of shrimp and foreign fish species in the Dutch market, supported by a multi-decade relationship with Amsterdam's Chinese restaurant community established since the 1982 Amsterdam opening.

The core product range spans fresh North Sea fish sold directly from auction, fresh and frozen shellfish, oysters, frozen shrimp, cephalopods, smoked fish, fresh and frozen fillets, and Surinamese fish species. The company's distinguishing infrastructure is a 3,000-ton in-house freezing facility at Zandvoortstraat 43 in IJmuiden, consolidated there in 2007 to centralize wholesale activities. Sourcing is anchored by a partnership in Suriname operating six fishing vessels with a seventh under construction, enabling sea-frozen direct import under the company's 'van Boot tot Bord' (boat to board) model that controls quality from catch to counter.

The business model combines one-time transactional sales across B2B wholesale, B2C retail, and HORECA foodservice, with no disclosed subscription or recurring-revenue mechanics. Distribution is Netherlands-domestic plus Suriname production operations. Marketing runs through Facebook, YouTube, the Visrecepten.nl recipe site, and email newsletters. The company is privately held with approximately 24 employees and no disclosed institutional investors, external parents, or funding rounds.

Name

Vishandel Tel

Legal name

Firma Tel

Website

https://vishandeltel.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vishandel Tel is a Netherlands-based seafood importer and distributor founded in 1948, operating wholesale distribution, retail fish shops, and nationwide HORECA delivery. It sources directly from its own Suriname fishing fleet and runs a 3,000-ton cold storage facility in IJmuiden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Wholesale & Retail

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250), Shellfish Fishing (114112)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC), Shellfish Wholesale (Crustaceans & Mollusks) (AFAIADAF)

Keywords

• Seafood wholesale
• Fish retail
• Shrimp import
• Horeca distribution
• Frozen fish supply

Headquarters

HQ city

IJmuiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale fish and seafood distribution: Wholesale distribution of imported shrimp and foreign fish species to businesses throughout the Netherlands.
2. Retail fish shop sales: Direct sales to individual consumers through retail fish shops in IJmuiden and Amsterdam.
3. Seafood service for HORECA: Supply of fish and seafood to restaurants and catering businesses with delivery throughout the Netherlands.
4. Suriname fish import: Import and distribution of Surinamese fish species (fresh and frozen sea-frozen) sourced from own fishing vessels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vishandel Tel imports and distributes fresh and frozen fish, shrimp, shellfish, cephalopods, smoked fish, and fillets through a wholesale division serving Dutch HORECA customers, plus a retail fish shop selling directly to consumers. Sourcing combines domestic North Sea auction supply with direct imports from its own Suriname fishing fleet, supported by a 3,000-ton in-house cold storage and freezing facility at IJmuiden.

Product overview

Vishandel Tel is a traditional Dutch seafood trading company operating as both a retail fish shop chain and wholesale distributor. The company was founded over 50 years ago and has grown into one of the largest importers of shrimp and foreign fish species in the Netherlands. Their product portfolio centers on fresh North Sea fish sold directly from auction, complemented by a comprehensive range including fresh and frozen shellfish, cephalopods, smoked fish, and fillets sourced from both European and international waters (including a dedicated Suriname operation). They operate retail fish shops in Amsterdam and IJmuiden serving both individual consumers and restaurant/horeca customers, alongside a wholesale division that distributes to foodservice businesses across the Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hoogendijk Import ExportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2017Acquisition of Hoogendijk Import Export expanding Vishandel Tel's import capabilities and product range in foreign fish species.
• Marisa FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2017Partnership with Marisa Fisheries involving fishing vessel KJELL for Suriname fishing operations. Joint venture for sourcing Surinamese fish species through coordinated vessel operations.
• Viskotter MinervacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishing vessel Minerva operating routes to Suriname for direct fish sourcing. Part of the 'van Boot tot Bord' (boat to board) strategy ensuring quality control.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oceana Group: Oceana Group is a South African diversified seafood company with fishing, aquaculture, and logistics operations. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in the vertically integrated fishing-to-distribution model, though focused on African rather than European species and markets.
• Thai Union Group: Thai Union Group is a global seafood leader known for shelf-stable and frozen seafood (Chicken of the Sea, King Oscar), with shrimp as a core category. Comparable to Vishandel Tel as a major shrimp importer/wholesaler, though operating at multinational scale across many geographies.
• Maruha Nichiro: Maruha Nichiro is one of the world's largest seafood companies with operations spanning fishing, aquaculture, processing, and distribution across multiple continents. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the global seafood value chain where Vishandel Tel operates, though at vastly different scale.

Regional players

• Poulsen's Fiskehus: Poulsen's Fiskehus is a Danish seafood importer and distributor operating wholesale and retail fish operations. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in business model (wholesale + retail seafood with cold-chain logistics) but primarily serves the Danish market rather than the Netherlands.

Direct peers

• Cornelis Vrolijk: Cornelis Vrolijk is one of the largest Dutch fishing and seafood companies with its own pelagic fleet and processing operations. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in operating Dutch-flagged vessels and serving Dutch/European seafood markets, though at materially larger scale.
• Foppen: Foppen is a Dutch family-owned seafood company specializing in smoked and processed fish products, with retail and wholesale channels. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in being a multi-generational Dutch seafood firm combining processing and distribution.
• Clearwater Seafoods: Clearwater Seafoods is a Canadian shellfish harvester and processor specializing in clams, scallops, lobster, and crab. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in the shellfish and frozen seafood wholesale segment, particularly for HORECA distribution.
• Lenger Seafoods: Lenger Seafoods is a Dutch seafood company focused on sourcing and distributing fish and shellfish from various origins. Comparable to Vishandel Tel in the wholesale fish import and distribution segment serving European customers.
• Nordzee Vis: Nordzee operates a chain of retail fish shops and kiosks across the Netherlands, directly comparable to Vishandel Tel's retail fish shop operations in IJmuiden and Amsterdam. Both compete for Dutch consumers seeking fresh seafood in physical retail channels.

Others

• Visafslag IJmuiden: Visafslag IJmuiden is the Dutch fish auction house located adjacent to Vishandel Tel's operations in IJmuiden. Relevant as an upstream supplier/ecosystem partner from which Vishandel Tel sources fresh North Sea fish ('verse vis direct van de afslag'), though it operates as an auction/marketplace rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights3 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmcMCCNiTtBoy4sxNxl-Luw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/VishandelTEL.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vishandel-tel

Compliance1 record

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 Vishandel Tel