The start of Tommy Tomato
Bas Turk, father of three children, decided to embark on the Tommy Tomato adventure with his partner Erik because of their personal experience with children not eating enough vegetables. Although Bas had no background in nutrition or education, he saw the need to make healthy food more accessible to children and thus influence their eating habits from an early age.
‘With Tommy Tomato, we want to turn children into vegetable eaters for life,’ says Bas. The aim is to make vegetables a regular part of the daily routine and make nutrition as important as other school subjects such as reading and writing.
From idea to impact
What once started as an idea to deliver hot lunches has grown into a company that delivers as many as 200,000 lunches to primary school children in a single month. The process starts with developing dishes, with Tommy Tomato working with five suppliers. These suppliers ensure the meals are delivered chilled to Tommy Tomato's hubs a day in advance.
‘We now have around 380 schools participating and our goal is to reach 500 schools this school year,’ Bas says. ‘Every month we deliver around 200,000 lunches. This also gives us great logistical challenges.’
Logistics challenges and innovations
Tommy Tomato's logistics process is designed to be as efficient as possible, with each step carefully tuned to deliver hot meals to schools on time. From morning preparations to when the ‘Health Angels’ (mostly over-65s who handle distribution) bring the lunches to the schools, the process is streamlined. This model not only provides employment for the elderly, but also contributes to Tommy Tomato's mission of involving everyone in the company.
‘Our Health Angels are grandparents who often still want to be active and enjoy contributing something. They make sure the lunches in hot boxes reach the schools safely and on time,’ Bas explains.
Food education: more than just food
Besides delivering meals, Tommy Tomato also has an educational mission. Bas and his team want to teach children more about food so they learn to make conscious choices. Through their ‘SouperChef’ programme, children get the chance to learn how to cook at school and learn more about where their food comes from and what it does for their bodies.
‘It's about teaching children how to handle food. Reading comprehension, working together and learning to measure - these are all skills they develop while cooking,’ Bas said. ‘Nutrition is a subject in itself and should be an important part of education.’
The road to national coverage
The company not only operates in North Holland, but is also working on expanding to other parts of the Netherlands. By 2025, Tommy Tomato aims to have nationwide coverage, using a network of 21 hubs throughout the Netherlands. By working with shorter distances and smart technology, they aim to guarantee food safety and minimise delivery time.
‘We have received subsidies to set up hubs in certain neighbourhoods, so we also contribute to equity and employment in these areas,’ Bas explains. ‘Our ambition is to give every child in the Netherlands the opportunity to eat healthy meals, whether they are on the Wadden Islands or in the Randstad.’
Technology and future plans
To keep growing, Tommy Tomato is investing heavily in technology. They are transitioning to a more flexible IT system that will allow them to better manage their logistics processes. From routing tools to staff scheduling - everything is being developed to make logistics as efficient as possible.
‘We also see ourselves as a technology company. Without good IT infrastructure, we cannot scale up the way we want to,’ says Bas. ‘The goal is to become more and more flexible, so that we can expand our offerings to nurseries and offer more variety in our menus.’
About Tommy Tomato
Tommy Tomato is a company dedicated to providing healthy, hot lunches to primary schools throughout the Netherlands. With a mission to introduce children to vegetables in a fun way, Tommy Tomato strives to make nutrition a regular part of the school day. Through innovative logistics solutions and a strong network of partners, the company ensures that every lunch arrives on time and fresh to children. Visit the website to learn more about Tommy Tomato.
Listen for the Full Story
This is just a small insight into the inspiring story of Bas Turk of Tommy Tomato. For the full story and all the background information, we invite you to listen to the podcast episode on Spotify.
Listen to the podcast for all the details.
