Customer review with Victor van Saltbommel, owner Huberts' Food about the Market Readiness Program

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Victor van Saltbommel, owner Huberts' Food from Meppel

Ice cream making has been a craft in the Huberts' family since 1922. So it's not entirely out of the blue that they started to further develop ice cream to make it a protein-enriched product.

What was the reason for you to participate in the Market Readiness Program?

Malnutrition among the elderly is one of the main problems in the healthcare sector. Currently, over 20% of the elderly in Dutch healthcare facilities are malnourished. With this problem in mind, Huberts' Food has developed artisanal ice cream enriched with 10 grams of protein per serving. This is because the recommended amount of protein per kg of body weight is greater in the elderly than in other adults, especially when they are recovering from illness or surgery, for example. However, finding a first paying customer proved to be quite a challenge. The Market Readiness Program was therefore a perfect fit for the phase we were in.

Victor van Saltbommel, owner Huberts' Food from Meppel

Has the Market Readiness Program given you any new insights?

The healthcare industry is quite conservative and you are dealing with different decision makers. This is where the added value of the program lay for us. You learn to put yourself even better in the shoes of your target group and examine step by step what really concerns them. By sharing experiences and sparring with each other, you also learn a lot from your fellow participants. A lot has happened since we went through the program. For example, we now have a pilot production on a larger scale and we are close to an agreement with an investor.

Victor van Saltbommel, owner Huberts' Food from Meppel