With the end of 2023 in sight, we take a moment to look back on a year marked by challenges and to look ahead to what we can expect in 2024.
Due to global logistical issues and the aftermath of the pandemic, our resilience was severely put to the test in 2023. Despite this, we were able to remain flexible and find effective solutions to safeguard the stability of our business operations in difficult circumstances.
In 2023, we continued to expand our range with new suppliers such as ‘Ulas’ for our chicken range and ‘Future Farm’ for our vega(n) one. In terms of quality, 2023 was an eventful year with a new team, compliance with (new) legislation and the introduction of new products. Yet we have nevertheless managed to obtain all our certificates at the highest level once again.
New website launched
On the marketing front, we also took major steps forward with the launch of our new website in April. This project, which took two years in total to complete, enables us to communicate our activities and core values more clearly and helps to raise our brand profile on an international level. We are promoting transparency by presenting our full product range online and providing insight into our business practices.
Trade fairs
In 2023, we had the privilege of participating in Tuttofood and Anuga with our own stands where we had the opportunity to present our product range. It was good to talk face to face with both new and old customers and we are grateful to everyone who visited our stands. Our team worked hard to make both trade fairs as much of a success as possible. We would like to share a brief recap of Anuga 2023 with the video below.
Sustainability As we reflect on the past year, we are proud of the progress we have made where sustainability is concerned. At Luiten Food, we believe in continuously striving to create a more responsible and transparent supply chain. Luiten Food has since reached a milestone by achieving level 4 on the CSR performance ladder. This achievement places us as frontrunners in the industry and demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. We recognise the importance of sustainable processes in every aspect of our business and are committed to maintaining this high standard in the years to come.
Team As a company, we are proud of our new rintake of staff, both young and old. Our team has grown to 81 permanent employees and 48 on-call staff. Luiten Food is a dynamic, fast-growing company and we are pleased to be able to offer our staff the opportunity to develop themselves. Together with all our staff, we will end 2023 on a fantastic note with our Luiten Food Christmas Gala, where everyone will hopefully have an unforgettable evening.
Looking ahead to 2024 By all accounts, 2024 will be a challenging year, marked by uncertainty that will lead to cost increases for both consumers and businesses. For Luiten Food, however, these uncertain times also present real opportunities. As our company has grown significantly in recent years, the time has come to focus on improving our existing processes. We will optimise our service and offer a wider range of service provision to better support our customers.
Start of full production Murray Bridge A lot of great things are also planned for 2024 that will enable our company to continue to grow. For example, Murray Bridge started its testing phase in 2023 (link to earlier post) and the plant will be fully operational from early 2024. On 12 May 2023, Thomas Food International proudly announced that the construction of TFI Murray Bridge had been completed and the official handover of the plant has since taken place. The entire construction of the new plant in Australia took just over two years. After its construction was completed, the plant was put into operation and test production started. Test production runs started in early December for Luiten Food. Expectations are that the first Murray Bridge products will arrive in Stompwijk by the end of February 2024. Would you like to be the first to know about developments at Murray Bridge? Then subscribe to our newsletter. Luiten Food’s strength lies in its extensive range of fresh and frozen products, from meat, fish and poultry to vega(n) -and even cultured meat in future – and affordable for every budget. We will continue to focus on quality, sustainability and efficiency in 2024, and we want to deepen the awareness of quality and food safety in the workplace.
Acknowledgements Last but not least, we would like to express our appreciation to all our employees, customers and partners who played an important role in this exciting year. Without your commitment and dedication, we would not have been able to book the successes that we have. Your cooperation and trust have been instrumental in overcoming challenges and achieving goals. On behalf of the management of Luiten Food – Thomas Foods Europe, we wish you happy holidays and a prosperous 2024!
