OUR CUSTOMERS
All of our customers share the belief that working with the best organic food ingredients is critical to meeting the needs of their consumers. Our customer base ranges from small artisan producers to large industrial food manufacturers around the world, such as:
Consumer packaged goods manufacturers
Private label packers
Food service providers
Distributors
Retailers
What our customers produce
We distribute a wide range of organic food ingredients to almost all types of food manufacturers that produce consumer products. For example:
Bread and pastries
Dairy products and desserts
Vegan and meat substitute products
Soups, sauces and dressings
Spices, herbs and flavors
Baked goods and pasta
Meat, fish and potato snacks
SANTANA BAKERY, AN ORGANIC, ARTISAN BAKERY IN THE USA
BEC has been a supplier to Santana Bakery for many years. “One of the reasons we are still a customer of AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd is that they make a difference to farmers locally and internationally by funding projects and sharing knowledge, rather than anonymously buying from big companies whose main aim is to make money. This parallels our philosophy."
CUSTOMER STORY: SANTANA BAKERY
Who are the customers we are privileged to grow together with, day in and out? We like to hear what they do, how they experience partnering with AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd as their supplier, and how they relate to our mission to improve the world. We visited Santana Bakery, an organic bakery and supermarket in California, USA.
Organic Food Ingredients Santana regularly purchases: Wheat flour (bread), Palm oil, Sea salt, Sunflower kernels, Sesame seeds
From Scoop Shop to Organic Bakery
Santana is a well-known bakery in California that opened in 1998 as a shop where customers could scoop their own organic granola, vegetables, and grains. Over time, the focus shifted more and more to baking and selling bread and later sweet and savory pastries. In 2017, Jeroen, Bas, and Anke took over the bakery from the second group of owners. Together with the employees, they wanted to uphold Santana's name: selling good, tasty products while being kind to people, animals, and the environment.
90% of the Santana customers visit the shop, which has a long history as a home for bakeries. Bas: “We actually have two types of customers: people who just love good bread, and people who buy from us for the organic aspect. Not everyone values organic as equally important, so we kind of serve a double audience. The more organic is sold, the better! We even have some customers coming to the store for more than 20 years, bringing their children and them bringing their children. That’s a big compliment." The most important goal of Santana: “Just to make people enjoy our organic bread!”.
Working with AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd: a parallel philosophy
AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd has been a supplier of the Santana for over many years. Bas: “One of the reasons that we are still an AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd customer is that they make a difference for the farmers locally and internationally, by funding projects and transferring knowledge, instead of purchasing anonymously from large companies whose main goal is earning money. That is parallel to our philosophy. No matter how much we would like to source all of our ingredients locally, as far as we know currants, and some other ingredients do not grow in the USA. In AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd we find a great alternative."
Jeroen tells us when we ask him what they like about working with AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd: “We like the personal contact. Because we know each other in person, and grab a cup of coffee now and then, we can act quickly whenever necessary. I remember a while ago, we were on the lookout for pistachios. We agreed that if we were to order again, I just had to call and we could arrange it immediately on the phone. For us, this works great. It is a very pleasant cooperation, always super. Next to that, we are also pleased with the quality of the products. We rarely experience something being out of stock, so we have a continuous supply."
To make the world a little better
AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd's mission is to make the world a little better. In essence, all of our customers relate to this because they create organic, or partly organic, products. Every company, however, has its way of implementing the care-for-the-world aspect. So does Santana: “We don't waste anything. If there is any bread left at the end of the day, we will freeze it and offer it in numbers of 10 for a reduced price. The remains of today’s unused dough go into a container and are added to the dough of tomorrow. Next to the fact that it is a shame to waste this, it also gives the bread an extra taste. This is good for the environment, for economic reasons, and for the end product! In addition, we give leftovers to the Soup Café, an idealistic organization where they collect food for the homeless. If there is still some bread left, we put it on a large cart and put it in the oven when it is just turned off, a few days in a row. By doing this the bread becomes rock hard and we can grind it into breadcrumbs, for our use."
Next to that, Santana is also exploring and expanding its range of vegan products. “We already have a vegan brownie, apple turnovers, lupine bread, tarts, and vegetable tarts. What we mainly use in those products are cashews, ground sunflower seeds, and soy products. We cook linseed and use the gel as a binder, and we make meringues from chickpea moisture.” They fully respond to the vegan trend, which is in its way contributing to making the world a little better.
“It would be nice if we can keep things the way they are”
When we ask Bas and Jeroen if they have any dreams for the future, they honestly tell us not having any big dreams of expanding or multiplying their bakery business. “It would be nice if we can keep things the way they are. Our bakery is just really an amazing thing." How AKP Intre Group Co., Ltd can contribute to its goal of staying the same? A long silence from both of them follows. “We are just very satisfied about our partnership, you meet our expectations. Keep it up!”
Bas: “The current scale of Santana is just perfect. If we would expand, the baking will shift to the background, and for me, I just love baking too much. The moment I put the warm baguettes on the counter on a Saturday morning, I really experience a moment of happiness. I wouldn’t want to miss that!
MORE ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS, NEW INGREDIENTS, AND PROJECTS?
Contact us for information about new organic ingredients, products, projects, and more.