December newsletter 2021
Dear reader,
We all had real high hopes that change would come soon. But here we are, one year further, and corona still dominates the news and many of our actions. We had to learn to live and work in different ways, with much less physical contact. But real, personal contact is more important than ever, we feel. Whether through a screen, a phone call or at a distance of one and a half meters, the mandatory Dutch safety distance.
We’ve sought change in exciting new flavours. You can read more about this below. For us, 2021 was a stable year, with good sales. We have grown internationally, especially because of our line of crackers: you can snack on shrimp crackers and salmon crackers in many more places around the world. Being awarded with the right environmentally friendly certificates really helped to open new doors.
Approvals and certificates
We have been awarded the MSC quality mark for fish and shrimp and the ASC quality mark for farmed fish. We worked hard on earning these certificates because we believe in sustainability: leaving enough fish in the seas, so populations can recover.
This year we also received the V-label certificate from the European Vegetarian Union. And we kept all the certificates we already earned (BRC (8), SKAL and EDI). That makes the total to six, and they hang proudly on the wall in our office.
Better life
Together with several retailers, we managed to meet the standards for a Dutch welfare certificate, Beter Leven 1 ster. ‘Beter leven’ stands for better life, and it’s about improving animal welfare. The one star label is about animals getting more space and play materials. Our pork crackling and pork crunch soft bite have met these standards. More and more customers ask about animal welfare, which is closely tied to our own human welfare. Alternating meat, fish and plantbased meals helps, also when it’s snack time.
Crispy and puffed
We have been innovating with our production of crackers for four years now. 2022 will be our fifth year. We started with shrimp crackers or krupuk, because this snack is the best known internationally. We are now developing surprising new vegetarian and vegan lines. And we’re still amazed by the many flavours and shapes these crackers can take. They are versatile and have a long shelf life. The crispy, puffed texture goes well with a huge variety of possibilities.
Sea & Land by Wilthagen
Next year we will introduce four new snacks under the name Sea & Land by Wilthagen. Offering the best of the sea and the land. The name is a nod to our home province of Zeeland. These are the snacks that we prefer to eat ourselves, brought together under our own premium label. We will present them in a striking new packaging. Which flavours, you ask? Well, you have to wait for a few months more, we hope to surprise you with our new product range in the first half of next year. We will also introduce these colourful and festive snacks at the PLMA fair.
2022
Next year will be a very festive year for us: a milestone, which we will celebrate with a special theme. Next year we will reveal all, so stay tuned.
For 2022 we wish you all the best, in good health. With time again to be together. So we can shake hands again, look each other in the eye. And then hopefully next year we can toast to an inspiring new year.
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Team Wilthagen
