Discover how Fresh & Saucy Foods prepares for tomorrow’s F&B’s sustainability requirements
Introduction
Fresh & Saucy Foods was founded in 2010 as the relaunch of a family company once known for its sandwich spreads. What began as a small-scale production has grown into a thriving business built around one passion: creating high-quality sauces and sandwich spreads infused with tradition.
Today, the company employs around 50 people and produces a wide range of sandwich spreads and sauces. From chicken curry to spicy tuna spread, from mayonnaise to ketchup and from specialty sauces like samourai to andalouse. They mainly focus on export and food service and about 90% of its production goes abroad. This was helped by the fact that Fresh & Saucy Foods was the first in its sector to certify all sauces as halal, setting a precedent for inclusivity and quality. Alongside sauces, Fresh & Saucy Foods is growing a promising new segment in sandwich spreads, starting locally through neighbouring Carrefour stores.
As IT Manager Michiel Pauwels explains:
“Because of the increasing buzz around sustainability in F&B, we expect our customers and prospects will soon ask suppliers for sustainability data. We don’t want to start from zero when that happens, we want to have the data ready.”
Their challenge
Sustainability had long been part of the company’s vision as they have also taken part in VCDO (Vlaams Charter Duurzaam Ondernemen) initiatives for the last couple of years. They saw how quickly sustainability expectations were becoming standard in their industry and decided to lead rather than follow.
The challenge however lay in limited internal capacity and knowledge. With a small team, Fresh & Saucy Foods needed a solution that could simplify carbon data collection, engage suppliers at scale, and provide expert support along the way.
Climatecamp's solution
When comparing tools, Fresh & Saucy Foods looked for a partner that could offer more than software. They chose ClimateCamp for its focus on hands-on support in supplier engagement and carbon calculations, rather than merely offering a fully self-service platform.
With more than 100 suppliers in their network, outsourcing supplier outreach was crucial.
“We just didn’t have the capacity to manage all those contacts,” Michiel says. “ClimateCamp handled the outreach and guided us through every step.”
The process began with establishing a baseline measurement, collecting data on energy use, purchased goods, transport, and all other material GHG-categories. Despite the complexity, the team made quick progress thanks to their customer success manager Daisy’s recurring check-ins, which helped them stay on track and keep the momentum.
“Having someone external who keeps you on track is huge,” Michiel notes. “It’s easy to postpone sustainability work when it’s another to-do on top of your main responsibilities. These meetings made sure we kept moving forward."
User-friendly templates, import functionality, and ERP integration made data collection smoother. While supplier outreach initially caused some hesitation, a quick follow-up from the company’s leadership quickly resolved any early friction.
Throughout the process, Fresh & Saucy appreciated the structure and learning curve ClimateCamp provided.
“Carbon accounting is complex, you have to grow into it,” Michiel explains. “Each year, your understanding deepens, your data becomes more detailed and containing less mistakes, and your assumptions grow stronger.”
“Having someone external who keeps you on track is huge,” Michiel notes. “It’s easy to postpone sustainability work when it’s another to-do on top of your main responsibilities. These meetings made sure we kept moving forward."
Results
With their baseline nearly complete, Fresh & Saucy Foods will soon have the clarity to start evaluating possible reduction projects. The process has positioned them to respond quickly to retailer demands and strengthened their confidence in sustainability reporting, even though they have no requirements to do so yet.
Fresh & Saucy Foods’ journey shows how preparation today can improve differentiation in the market and reduce future workload. Not just because regulations force them to, but because it’s the smart thing to do.