With Seeberger Snacks you can nibble through the whole range of nuts and dried fruit and always have a good supply of healthy fats and valuable vitamins. Ralph Beranek, our managing director, also talks about this in an interview with FluxFM.
Coffee also plays a major role in the range. How did that happen?
Ralph: That comes from the history of the grocery store. There was coffee, nuts, dried fruit and everything that was from the former colonies. We bought from different countries. At that time we only had coffee for the gastronomy. Similar to nuts and fruits, we specialize in top quality and this was in demand in the catering trade. Today we have a huge service operation in the coffee shop. We supply vending machines, such as vending machines for drinks and healthy snacks for staff supply in small and large companies.
You joined Seeberger shortly after your studies, and have also been managing directors since 1996, so you have been with us for more than 30 years. So you're a really old hand, so to speak. What have been the biggest changes in recent years? Were there developments where you say that it was definitely a real game changer?
Ralph: Yes, up until 10 years ago I would have said nuts had a bad image. Because they're greasy. And that has completely changed. People now know they are healthy fats and that really was a game changer. Suddenly a nut and a nut mixture was attractive for every generation. It actually used to be the older generation that grew up with it. But because there is such a positive image now, I am very positive about the future for the entire industry. Nuts and dried fruits are attractive snacks.
And what is also current, and we have always felt at home, is that Europe demands a fair supply chain in every company. And that's where I'm at the forefront. It is a pity that we need such a law at all. It should actually go without saying. And that will now move a great deal again in the industry. Because now everyone has to take care of their supply chain. The supply chain for nuts and fruit is really complicated. But I'm looking forward to it, because doing good shouldn't be exclusive. And it should go without saying that you take care of your suppliers and try to pay them decently so that farmers around the world can also make a good living from their daily manual work, and we feel that we are in very good hands and I think we are also making our contribution.
You just mentioned exclusivity. Your products are quite expensive. Nuts, in general, without question, are a luxury good. But what justifies the rather high price for your nut mixtures?
Ralph: At Seeberger, the best 10% of the harvest comes in. That's point one. What I explained a bit earlier is sustainability. We try to do all ways and business directly. We don't buy anything from the so-called "spot market", there is some kind of surplus of nuts and people use them. No, we want to ensure quality and sustainability. This means that every product that comes to us comes directly. And maybe in general, with a mango I know it exactly: You need 1 kg of fresh mango to make 100 g of dried mango. And you have to realize that: what do I pay for 1 kg of fresh mango and what is the dried fruit ultimately worth. It is similar with apricots, there it is perhaps a factor of 6: what do I pay for 1 kg of fresh apricots and what do I pay for 200 g of dried apricots. I always have to convert and that is this factor from fresh fruit to dried fruit.
We have the big hiking week at FluxFM this week. You are a passionate sportsman yourself and also love to eat nuts. What are your recommendations? Which variety really kicks before such a long hike? What gives good energy?
Ralph: Yes, I would say nuts as a staple food, a handful of nuts every day - it doesn't really matter which nuts, everyone can do something really good. My favorite are walnuts, I absolutely love them, but I also like a macadamia, it's a bit greasy but has healthy fats in it. As a basic, a handful of nuts every day is quite good. When I'm doing sports and I need energy immediately, dried fruits are better because they give energy quickly. The nuts provide the basic energy via the healthy omega-3 fatty acids and also proteins. And dried fruit gives quick energy via carbohydrates. So if you're hiking then cranberries, blue grapes, mangoes, apricots, dates are great, there are lots of great snacks that provide that quick energy.
