54 Tasty Present employs two connoisseurs, Bas Machielse and Bram Knoups, who speak passionately about their craft. With enthusiasm, I traveled to Sittard to take a closer look at this company and learn about its future ambitions. TASTY PRESENT: MORE THAN JUST CHOCOLATE tributed at the end of August, and orders came in by fax. (Laughs) Those were the days. We were very successful in those years and were almost the first in the Netherlands with an online store. The ChocoTelegram® was also conceived then, and we developed it further into what it is today." From Generalist to Specialist Tasty Present realized that chocolate could set them apart much more than all the other products they offered. As the internet grew, more and more companies started doing the same things as Tasty Present. Around 2010, they decided to specialize in chocolate. "Of course, we already had a fantastic product with the ChocoTelegram®," Bram says. "Gradually, we began to expand with various chocolate gifts, and we have really built a name in this area. We have developed a unique technique to print directly on chocolate in photo quality (ChocoImage). In five years, we want to be number one in Europe in personalized chocolate gifts. And I should add that, given the current chocolate prices, we are also looking into expanding our range. But it will still be within the realm of edibles and compatible with our current machinery. Think of cakes, marshmallows, macarons, cookies, and so on." Flexibility Tasty Present's USPs can be summed up in two words: Upon entering, the sweet scent of cocoa immediately greets you. Pallets full of chocolate blocks are waiting to be processed. "Chocolate is the new gold," says Bram. "Ghana and Ivory Coast are the largest producers of cocoa beans. They experienced a very poor harvest, resulting in 30% less volume. Consequently, the price skyrocketed. Fortunately, we purchase our own chocolate and have a guaranteed base stock, so we didn’t have to raise our prices immediately. But now, we can't avoid it. You could say that products like those for Easter were made with cocoa that was bought last year. The price was lower then, so our customers will only feel the effect in the second half of this year." From Wine to Chocolate Tasty Present has been around since the early 1990s and started with the delivery of wine gifts. Under the brand name FeliciVin, the company originally sent wine congratulatory gifts. The assortment gradually expanded. Bas explains, "We quickly decided to expand to a combination of food and non-food items, becoming a full-service supplier, especially during the Christmas season. From logo cakes (the 'cake telegram') to salmon and from wine packages to stuffed animals. 80% of our revenue came from the Christmas period, and we wanted to change that by staying relevant throughout the rest of the year. That was the time when we still worked with a paper catalog. Between 10,000 and 15,000 of these were disBY PETER VAN GESTEL Bas Machielse and Bram Knoups 55 2024 - number 4 - promzvak.nl 8
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