Heerkens Vers

What Heerkens Vers does

Heerkens Vers, operating under the legal name Heerkens Groente en Fruit B.V., is a Dutch B2B distributor of fresh vegetables and fruit serving food service professionals (horeca) in the Netherlands. The company is headquartered in Nistelrode and delivers on a recurring cadence to what the company describes as hundreds of food professionals daily, with a stated customer base of more than 100 accounts spanning restaurants, caterers, and institutional kitchens. Its assortment combines commodity fresh produce with specialty lines including cress (via partnership with Koppert Cress) and fermented products (via partnership with Basic Theory Ferments), as well as value-added formats such as spiralized vegetables.

The operational backbone consists of two components. First, an on-site Productiekeuken staffed by more than 25 workers performing custom cutting and processing, which converts inbound produce into formats matched to horeca kitchen requirements. Second, the InOne Bestelbox online ordering platform, which provides professional customers with a digital channel for recurring orders and streamlines the company's order capture. The company also publishes a seasonal magazine that serves both as a marketing channel and as content engagement with its professional customer base.

The business model is a regional wholesale and light-processing operation. Revenue is generated by selling fresh produce — including custom-cut, spiralized, and specialty fermented or cress items — at B2B volumes to food service operators, with daily recurring deliveries supporting high order frequency. Margin is supported by the value-added processing layer (Productiekeuken) and the specialty assortment (cress, fermentation, spiralized formats), which differentiate Heerkens from a pure commodity wholesaler. The company is exclusively Netherlands-focused, with no evidence of cross-border activity.

Name

Heerkens Vers

Legal name

Heerkens Groente en Fruit B.V.

Website

https://heerkensvers.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Heerkens Vers is a Dutch B2B distributor of fresh vegetables and fruit serving horeca (food service) customers in the Netherlands, combining regional wholesale with an in-house Productiekeuken for custom cutting, an online ordering platform (InOne Bestelbox), and specialty partnerships in cress and fermentation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Produce Distribution

NAICS

Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Fresh produce distribution
• Vegetable processing services
• Horeca produce supply
• Custom cut vegetables
• Fermented vegetable products

Headquarters

HQ city

Nistelrode

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Sale of fresh, processed vegetables and fruits to food professionals including restaurants, caterers, and institutional kitchens. Products include both unprocessed whole produce and pre-cut, pre-portioned ready-to-use components.
2. Processing & Value-Added Services: Custom processing services including washing, cutting, portioning, and packaging vegetables and fruits to specification. These services add value through labor savings and convenience for professional kitchens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heerkens Vers supplies fresh and processed vegetables and fruits to Dutch food professionals (restaurants, bistros, lunchrooms, sports canteens, caterers, and institutional kitchens). The company operates a dedicated production kitchen that cuts, washes, portions, and packages produce to chef specifications, alongside an unprocessed fresh assortment and specialty items such as cresses, herbs, mushrooms, and fermented products. Customers order 24/7 through the InOne Bestelbox online platform.

Product overview

Heerkens Vers is a fresh produce supplier specializing in vegetables and fruit for food professionals (restaurants, bistros, lunchrooms, sports canteens, caterers, and institutional kitchens). The company operates two main product lines: Onbewerkt Vers (unprocessed fresh produce) and Bewerkt Vers (processed/cut produce). The core offering includes the InOne Bestelbox online ordering platform and a Production Kitchen (Productiekeuken) that prepares custom-cut vegetables and fruit to chef specifications. Product categories span potatoes, mushrooms, herbs, cresses, salads, and specialty items. The company differentiates through its Productiekeuken processing capabilities, fermented product line, spiral vegetables, and seasonal inspiration magazines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• InOne Bestelbox A 24/7 online B2B ordering platform accessible via PC or mobile app, enabling food professionals to browse the complete Heerkens assortment, view current prices and weekly offers, and maintain personalized order lists.
• Productiekeuken (Production Kitchen) Processing Service In-house production kitchen service that processes vegetables and fruits into ready-to-use components for professional kitchens, offering various cutting styles (brunoise, julienne, slices, cubes, spiral) and custom preparations including chimichurri mixes, operated by 25+ workers from early morning to late evening.
• Onbewerkt Vers (Unprocessed Fresh Produce) Complete assortment of unprocessed fresh vegetables and fruit, sourced daily from regional growers with high turnover rates to ensure optimal quality for professional kitchens.
• Bewerkt Vers (Processed Fresh Produce) Pre-cut, pre-washed, portioned, and packaged vegetables and fruit, processed daily in the production kitchen according to quality guidelines and quality-checked before packaging.
• Fermented Products Line Fermented vegetable products including kimchi, sauerkraut variants and other fermented items supplied via the Basic Theory Ferments partnership (KimchiDo, Purple Power, Sexy Sauerkraut, Curried Kraut) for professional kitchens.
• Fresh Fruit Assortment Citrus fruits, exotic fruits, hard fruit, soft fruit and hand-cut fruit salad varieties for filling fruit bowls and menu applications.
• Paddenstoelen (Mushrooms) Wide range of edible mushrooms including bundelzwammen, portobello's, shiitake, and specialty mushroom varieties for professional kitchens.
• Cressen (Cresses) Microgreens and cress varieties supplied by Koppert Cress, including Atsina Cress, Affila Cress, Shiso Purple, Basil Cress, and over 30 other specialty cress products for menu differentiation.
• Kruiden (Herbs) Fresh herbs including basil, thyme, rosemary, chervil, coriander, and a complete range from the herb garden for professional kitchens.
• Sla (Lettuce and Salad Varieties) Unprocessed salad varieties including iceberg lettuce, veldsla, rucola, frisée, lollo rosso, and custom salad mixes prepared fresh daily in the production kitchen.
• Aardappelen (Potatoes) Various potato types including Roseval, Nicola, Bonken, sweet potato, and pre-prepared options such as fries, wedges, and peeled potatoes.
• Spiraalgroenten (Spiral Vegetables) Spiral-cut vegetables offered as a trendy alternative to pasta, decorative for salads, ideal for raw consumption, and suitable for amuses, prepared in the production kitchen.
• Fruit Salads Pre-prepared fruit salads where all fruit is hand-cut to meet the highest quality standards, ready for professional kitchen service.
• Seizoenskalender (Seasonal Calendar) A seasonal calendar showing which products are available in which months and when products originate from Dutch soil, helping chefs plan seasonal menus.
• Seizoensmagazines (Seasonal Magazines) Quarterly seasonal magazines (lente/zomer/herfst/winter) featuring supplier stories, culinary inspiration, cooking techniques, recipes, and seasonal product showcases for food professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products are cut, washed, portioned and packaged fresh daily according to quality guidelines
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Koppert CresscoreOthersKoppert Cress is the specialist supplier of cresses and micro-greens for Heerkens. All cresses sold by Heerkens are supplied by Koppert Cress, the specialist in seedlings of unique plants with surprising influences on the senses. This partnership provides access to 33+ specialty cress varieties including Atsina Cress, Shiso Purple, and Mustard Cress.
• Basic Theory FermentscoreOthersPartnership for fermented vegetable products including KimchiDo, Purple Power, Sexy Sauerkraut, and Curried Kraut. These fermented products enable chefs to create unique flavors and textures while addressing health and sustainability trends.
• Klootwijk AGFminorOthersRegional grower partnership with Janneke and Cees Klootwijk who grow specialty vegetables in Raamsdonk. Products include unsprayed vegetables and specialties grown in natural habitat with same-day harvesting. They cultivate unusual flowers and specialties including Nagelkruid, Bieslook bloem, Zeepkruid, and Juffertje in het groen.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Special Fruit: Belgian fresh produce specialist focused on berries, exotics, and specialty produce for retail and foodservice. Comparable in the niche, specialty-produce positioning and B2B customer orientation toward chefs and food professionals.
• Nature's Pride: Dutch fresh produce supplier specializing in exotic fruits, berries, and vegetables for European retail and foodservice. Comparable as a B2B fresh produce specialist targeting professional buyers, with similar product breadth philosophy.
• Bakker Barendrecht: Dutch fresh produce specialist serving supermarket and foodservice channels with prepared fruit and vegetables. Highly comparable on the processed fresh produce side, with overlap in pre-cut and portioned offerings for professional kitchens.
• The Greenery: Dutch fresh produce cooperative supplying supermarkets and foodservice with a broad fruit and vegetable assortment. Closest direct peer in product category (fresh produce) and B2B foodservice customer overlap, though at significantly larger scale.
• De Groot Fresh Group: Dutch family-owned fresh produce supplier serving retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers across Europe. Comparable as a family-run, B2B-focused fresh produce specialist with light processing capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Sligro Food Group: Largest Dutch foodservice wholesaler serving horeca and institutional kitchens across the Netherlands and Belgium. Overlaps with Heerkens on the foodservice customer base and fresh produce category, but operates a full cash-and-carry plus delivery model at much greater scale.
• Hanos: Dutch cash-and-carry and delivery foodservice wholesaler for hospitality and institutional customers. Comparable on the horeca target segment and product breadth, with growing fresh and specialty offerings that increasingly overlap with Heerkens' assortment.
• Greenyard: Belgian-headquartered global market leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetables serving retail and foodservice. Comparable on the prepared produce and foodservice channel but operates at a vastly larger, more diversified scale.
• Bidfood Netherlands: Major Dutch foodservice distributor serving restaurants, caterers, and care institutions. Comparable B2B foodservice customer base and delivery model, with a much broader product portfolio spanning fresh, frozen, and dry goods.

Others

• Koppert Cress: Dutch specialist in cresses and micro-greens that is also a core upstream supplier to Heerkens. Included as an ecosystem participant that defines much of Heerkens' specialty differentiation; not a direct competitor but a strategic partner whose interests partially overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heerkens-groente-en-fruit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Heerkens Vers