The Many Possibilities of Vinegar
Burg Group is a producer of natural vinegar and syrup. The family-owned company is the market leader in natural vinegar. At the helm is Patricia Surendonk, who has been with the company for over 21 years, including 13 years as CEO. Her long tenure is exceptional, but she fully supports the company’s strategy and products. “There are many more potential applications for natural vinegar, and we’re just beginning to discover them.”
The company has four main product categories: natural vinegar for food in bulk or a bottle, vinegar for cleaning in your house or garden,, and syrups. “In the past, we did more, such as bottling oil, but we stopped doing that some time ago.” Burg Group was founded in 1947 as ‘Firma De Burg’ by Cees Bakker. A year later, Burg Syrups was established, and in 1967, the company moved to Heerhugowaard. Several acquisitions followed, and the company grew steadily, also abroad. Its product range and brand portfolio expanded as well. Today, Burg has production sites in various European countries and a location in the U.S., alongside its headquarters in Heerhugowaard and the syrup factory in Ter Aar.
Full market spectrum
The company supplies complete private label concepts to retailers and provides products to food manufacturers. “We offer various types of natural vinegar, cleaning vinegar, and cleaning products based on vinegar, such as green deposit remover. Our syrups are very diverse, we cover the full market spectrum, from budget-conscious to premium concentrated juices and fruit syrups.”
Collaboration
Vinegar, Burg Group’s core product, has more potential than is currently being used. “For example, as a preservative. Adding dried vinegar powder to meat enhances food safety. Soaking seeds in vinegar makes them more resistant to bacteria and disease. These applications are currently being researched. Another important benefit of vinegar is its function as a flavour enhancer. By adding vinegar to products, less salt and sugar are needed without compromising on taste. That’s why we participated in the SHIFT-SALT project, a collaboration of ingredient suppliers, soup and sauce producers, and research partners aimed at reducing salt in soups and sauces to help lower salt intake among Dutch consumers. Progress is being made to reduce salt and sugar, but there is still much more that can be done. Achieving this requires research and collaboration with various players in the food industry. That’s one reason we joined IFFI: to connect with potential partners and share knowledge.”
Challenges
Producers of natural products often face similar challenges: the quality and availability of raw materials depend heavily on the success of the harvest. For Burg Group, this is compounded by the double fermentation process used to produce vinegar, a delicate procedure. “However, our biggest challenge is getting the word out about what our products can do; take our green deposit remover, for example. We have to compete with well-established brands in the market. On top of that, we’re currently dealing with challenges that are affecting society at large, such as labour shortages and energy constraints.”
Sustainable
Sustainability is a key theme for the family business. “It has always been one of our core principles, but now it’s fully integrated into our operations. Our factory in Heerhugowaard is ultramodern, future-proof, and sustainable. We’re connected to the Waerdse Energy Circuit, through which we supply heat to nearby businesses and households. Our Heerhugowaard facility no longer uses gas and instead uses underground cooling from the same energy circuit.”
Natural living
In terms of packaging, the company also opts for sustainable solutions wherever possible. “We use as much rPET as we can. We actively engage with customers on this topic, even when their initial idea may be different. As a company, we want to make a positive impact, not just reduce our negative footprint. That’s why our slogan is: ‘Restoring natural living.’ Every day, we strive to make the world cleaner, healthier, and tastier with our vinegars and syrups.”
Innovators
Surendonk is also personally committed to sustainability and social equality. She is an IMAGINE Leader, a global community founded by a former Unilever executive. “We are a group of disruptive innovators, business leaders, investors, and civil society leaders working together to scale up and accelerate systemic change. We aim to inspire each other and are committed to our goals.”
More info: www.burggroup.eu
Patricia Surendonk
CEO Burg Group