News archive 2020
Virgin Nuts. The past, the present, the future...
December 2020
Thank you all!
2020 is almost at an end and we cannot wait for 2021 to begin. Where 2020 will always be remembered as a troubling year with lots of fear for our loved ones and our health, we sincerely hope that 2021 will be remembered as the year in which the pandemic is controlled and freedom is sensibly regained.
First of all we want to thank and fully spotlight our employees. Without complaining and without forsaking, they have contributed to fulfilling all incoming orders. Where hygiene regulations were even further tightened and work load was increased, they never ever complained. Thank you guys and girls. This year has proven that we have the most committed and cooperative team and we’re so grateful for that.
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December 2020
Honey salt & pepper chocolate letters
We will never forget the chocolate treats that we received as a kid from our parents every year on 5 December. To honour these solely good memories, we have continued this tradition. Since the early start of Virgin Nuts, every year our employees have been delighted with a chocolate letter to celebrate ‘Sinterklaas’ (Saint Nicholas; quite like Santa Claus, but earlier in December).
This year, we hand out a special edition chocolate letter, created by Kirsten Molkenboer from Puur Tamminga. The artisanal openwork chocolate is filled with our artisanal and loveatfirstbite Honey salt & pepper peanuts and cashews. An absolutelydelicious combination of indulgent sweet & savoury, salty & spicy in premium sustainable brown gold.
This proves that our products are also especially suitable for chocolate. Thanks to our artisanal coating, we add an essential barrier to prevent fat bloom and to preserve the crunchiness of the nuts when processed in chocolate. And on top of these benefits: the coating locks in the flavour of the delicious nuts.
Contact us for more ideas and inspiration to combine your chocolate with out of the box 100%natural flavoured and seasoned nuts, seeds and cereals. Any time is a good time to create (and eat!) a guilty pleasure.
2 December 2020
Prices 2021
Every once in a while, macroeconomic influences force us to review our prices. As from the 1st of January 2021 the cost price part of our prices will raise, due to increasing costs of utilities and inflation correction of wages.
From today, all price quotes for 2021 will include the new tariff.
If prices of the raw nuts will go down, you probably will not perceive the raise, but if those prices will remain at the same level (or worse: increase), a price change will be perceptible. Obviously, this raise does not affect current contracts.
We appreciate our collaboration and we thank you in advance for understanding.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us by email or telephone (+31 317 612019).
November 2020
Create your own
Virgin Nuts adds delicious flavour and crunch to granolas. You don’t have to worry about sugar levels, because we do. We compose granolas according to your nutritional requirements resp. the requested nutri-score. And if you want, we even produce caramelised nuts, seeds and cereals without refined sugar.
Comparable granolas in supermarkets and specialty shops are often produced with caramel syrup, which adds the same sweetness, but also more (hidden) ingredients. Producing our artisanal coated products, we only work with 100% natural ingredients, like pure (beet) sugar or – at your request – for instance unrefined cane sugar. Indulgent, but with a little help for your body to properly digest.
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November 2020
Christmas holiday 2020
During the coming Christmas period, the Virgin Nuts factories will be closed for production from 19 December, next to New Year's Day.
Production will resume on the 4th of January 2021.
Please let us know a.s.a.p. if you need any orders to be ready ultimately on the 18th of December 2020.
To start the new year with delicious and freshly produced coated nuts and have them ready for you in week 1 - 2021, send us your order before Friday 11 December, next.
We wish you happy holidays!
November 2020
Not just a cashew, but a cashew with a story
We know that it’s not only about providing the best honey coated nuts in the world. Besides sustainable production and packaging, Virgin Nuts values sustainable and equitable trade. We’re proud to announce a new specialty line "Virgin Fair Nuts" with Fair Trade cashews from Nuts2. This new line will be a separate line next to our existing line with high quality standard cashews. The Fair Trade cashews are both grown and processed in Africa, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint, thus CO2-reduction. Knowing this will make our sweet coated #virginfairnuts even more delicious and #loveatfirstbite.
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October 2020
Delicious pastry ingredients
We often brag about our caramelised nuts being perfect ingredients for chocolate, icecream and cereals and we sometimes forget the absolutelydelicious combination with pastry, cake and other bakery products. Thanks to pastry chef Kirsten Molkenboer from Puur Tamminga we can show you her picture of love at first bite meringues with Honey macadamia.
Kirsten created a nougatine meringue with hazelnut foam and hazelnut cream, finished with whipped cream and honey macadamia. Also available at Puur Tamminga: specialty chocolate bars with our Honey salt & pepper peanut cashew mix. Wow, what a great proof of concept.
If you’re looking for out of the box ingredients for your chocolate, ice cream, breakfast cereals or bakery products, just contact us. We always have striking 100% natural nuts, seeds and cereals to bring out the master creator in you.
October 2020
Sweet nut guys
Virgin Nuts, a bunch of sweet nut guys (and girls), produces the best sweet coated nuts, seeds and cereals in the world. No matter if you’re looking for snack products or ingredients for applications like chocolate, ice cream, breakfast cereals, energy bars, nougat, bakery products, salad/vegetable toppings, etc., at Virgin Nuts we can fulfil your requests. Thanks to our artisanal production process, all nuts, seeds and cereals get a delicious, clean and 100% natural sweet coating.
Besides plain caramelised, we work with 5 other base flavours: honey, cinnamon, maple, vanilla or gingerbread. To make your #crunchy products extra special, we can also give them a #savoury addition, like sea salt and/or spices/herbs like chili, rosemary, pepper, BBQ, lavender, wasabi, etc.
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October 2020
No business before coffee
Every day, we start our busy and always interesting and fun working day with… coffee. Not just any coffee, but coffee as it should be. Made of 100% handpicked Fairtrade and Direct Trade coffee beans.
The honoust coffee beans are roasted by Roast 'n Toast, a local micro coffee-roasting factory. By purchasing locally, we aim to further reduce our CO2-emissions.
Just like coating nuts, coffee roasting is an art to find the right temperature and duration to obtain an optimal, deliciously fresh and perfect taste. The taste not only depends on the roasting of the beans, but also on the country of origin. Aart from Roast ‘n Toast is a master in roasting coffee to perfection and thanks to him we enjoy high quality coffee each day.
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October 2020
Kosher @ Virgin Nuts: more than a symbol
Since 2018 Virgin Nuts is kosher certified under strict supervision of Rabbi P.A. Meyers of Antwerp (Belgium) from the Hager Kashrus Committee (the Rabbinical Board for Kosher Certification). We’re pleased to confirm that Virgin Nuts has a kosher quality mark for all caramelised products (the objective of the Kosher audit).
Kosher is so much more than a symbol. It ensures that accredited products - no matter if you choose just caramelised nuts, seeds or cereals or with an addition of honey, cinnamon, maple, gingerbread or vanilla and even if you want herbs and/or spices added - are strictly Kosher and are produced according to the Kosher rules and guidelines.
Our Kosher certificate is internationally renowned and stands for reliability and quality. With certified products, even more people can enjoy the caramelised products that we can produce for you. Contact us for more information on our kosher products
October 2020
What's your favourite?
Carrot cake is one of the most popular guilty cake pleasures with (besides carrot of course) cinnamon walnut as an important ingredient. And guess what, that’s an ingredient that we produce and it’s especially suitable for chocolate, ice cream and… breakfast cereals. Picture carrot cake in a bowl for a healthy and indulgent breakfast… we already have our favourite to win the cruesli battle #loveatfirstbite.
We produce any granola or ingredients for your own #granola or #cruesli that suits the preference of your customers. Thanks to our artisanal coating, we add an #absolutelydelicious flavour and crunch to granola. No need to worry about the sugar level; we can compose the granolas according to your nutritional requirements and #nutriscore and... we produce your ingredients #peanutfree if requested. Contact us for more information and don't forget to vote ;-)
September 2020
Peanut free, naturally
Did you know Virgin Nuts also has a fully peanut free factory? Especially for the food industry (chocolate, ice cream, cereals, etc.), we can produce ingredients with the most delicious #100%natural flavours and without a single trace of peanut in them. Our peanut free facility is included in our BRCGS Food Safety certificate (AA-level).
Both production facilities are strictly separated. Our policies, procedures and protocols emphasize the strict rules to keep out all (traces and residues of) peanuts of our peanut free facility. This applies to the machines but also to all instruments, tools, (packaging) materials, forklift trucks and of course our personnel, their work gear and lunches.
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September 2020
#thinkinginsolutions for the food industry
Virgin Nuts guides you through the day, from early morning breakfast cereals to late night snack nuts. We offer #highquality #absolutelydelicious and #100%natural coated nuts, seeds and cereals for every meal time from daybreak till nightfall.
Crispy breakfast and salad/vegetables toppings according to your requirements and nutri-score; Crunchy chocolate and ice cream ingredients to prevent fat bloom resp. soggy ingredients (peanut free if requested); Sweet or dry roasted snack nuts; the best of both worlds.
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September 2020
Salt & pepper
"Salt & pepper can be found on nearly every dining table and are usually used without much thought; sprinkled on dishes as a matter of routine." This – oh so true – phrase is from the description of Jody Vassallo’s recipe book "Salt and Pepper" in which she reveals a new potentials for these common seasonings.
Well, at Virgin Nuts we love working with (common) seasonings as they've never been seen before, like these #absolutelydelicious Honey salt & pepper peanuts and cashews. Fierce, with a sweet soothing honey base… #loveatfirstbite
And, if you don’t like the sweet, there’s always our Dry roasted salt & pepper nuts or mixes as a pure savoury alternative. Looking for a snack with a gentle kick? Contact us for more information.
July 2020
Our packaging: less is more
Less plastic is a worldwide mission. While producing #absolutelydelicious coated nuts, seeds and cereals, we aim to fulfil our corporate social responsibility to protect people, planet and profits. These 3 P’s are embedded in our philosophy to live and work together for the common good.
One of our missions to achieve this, is to reduce plastic and we’re pleased to announce that we’ve taken a small, but good step forward. And yes, each step we take reveals a new horizon.
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July 2020
Holiday @ Home | Part III
In this 3rd and, for now, last part, we go east (from our perspective). Come, travel with us without moving. Virgin Nuts flavours your Holiday @ Home with delicious snack nuts in worldly flavours.
In this animation, we visit some eastern countries. Watch and come along to...
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July 2020
Holiday @ Home | Part II
After 'travelling' through Europe last week, this week we cross the world seas. If you think it's still too soon, no worries! Virgin Nuts flavours your Holiday @ Home with delicious snack nuts in worldly flavours.
In this animation, we visit some overseas destinations. Watch and sail along to...
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June 2020
Holiday @ Home | Part I
We’re delighted to see the world slowely opening up again, after the COVID-19 restrictions. Ten to one it makes you long for a relaxing holiday abroad.
If you think it's still too soon, no worries! Virgin Nuts flavours your Holiday @ Home with delicious snack nuts in worldly flavours.
In this animation, we firstly visit some European countries. Watch and ride along to...
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June 2020
Virgin Nuts around the world
Virgin Nuts is a specialist caramelised and dry roasted nuts producing company for over 10 years. Our first product was sold in The Netherlands, our home country, but today we sell to almost every country in Europe and even to countries beyond. From Iceland to New Zealand, from the United States to Laos. And more countries are eager to turn green on our “Virgin Nuts discovered” world map.
Our focus is mainly on Europe, but every once in a while other continents discover our #absolutelydelicious caramelised and dry roasted nuts, seeds and cereals and bring them to their fellow citizens. Either #loveatfirstbite snack nuts or as breakfast cereals, ingredients in chocolate and ice cream, salad toppings, etc.
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June 2020
Flavourful Honey rosemary chili almonds
Almonds are one of the most popular nuts in Europe and the United States and famous for their versatility and health benefits. When this source of vitamins is produced with our #100%natural honey, herbs and spices, it makes almonds even more popular! Like our Honey rosemary chili almonds, which is just one out of many examples of #absolutelydelicious almond snacks. Picture a combination of hearty brown almonds, sweet and full honey, fragrant rosemary and spicy chili…
All our #highquality caramelised almonds are perfect as a snack, but also as an ingredient in many applications (ice cream, chocolate, etc.). We coat almonds in all varieties, such as wholes (natural and blanched), diced, splitted, slivered, etc. Prefer coated almonds without the sweet? Press 'Read More'...
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May 2020
Pecans, crunchy and icy
Ice cream can be topped or filled with many ingredients (fruit, sauces, chocolate, etc.), but of course we prefer ice cream with caramelised nuts. Especially these sunny days, we crave a single portion of ice cream with caramel and #absolutelydelicious caramelised pecans… #yummie!
Of course, not only pecan nuts are suitable for #icecream. Thanks to our artisanal caramelisation process all types of (diced) nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.) get an essential barrier to lock in the flavour of the nuts and to preserve their crunchiness.
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May 2020
Bee engaged
Virgin Nuts is well-known for #absolutelydelicious #honey coated nuts, seeds and cereals. As we all know, honey is a sweet, syrup-like food substance that bees produce from the nectar of flowering plants. For several years now, bees and other pollinators are increasingly under threat from human activities.
Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations designated 20 May as #WorldBeeDay.
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May 2020
Watch out: safe nuts coming through
Virgin Nuts means #highquality and #100%natural and of course our nut coating factories and warehouses need to be #100%safe. That’s why our complete staff recently passed the quinquennial forklift truck exam.
We produce all absolutelydelicious products fresh on order. Nuts, seeds and cereals come in and sweet coated and dry roasted ones go out. With forklift trucks we carry them to the place to be. Needless to say that this internal transport needs to be carried out safely, in the various departments of our factories and warehouses...
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May 2020
Trees for All | Compensating our CO2-emissions
While selling and producing our #absolutelydelicious sweet coated and dry roasted nuts, seeds and cereals, unavoidably CO2 is emitted.
To fulfil our mission to contribute to a green and healthier earth, we reduce our CO2-emissions to the max. By supporting Trees for All sustainable forestry projects, we aim to offset for the rest.
As a CO2-sponsor we’re proud to participate in planting a new forest in Uganda. Thanks to reforesting, the habitat of the animals is extended, the primeval forest is protected and a positive contribution is made to the climate.
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April 2020
Apple Pie is King
On the 27th of April it’s King’s Day in The Netherlands. Usually the biggest and best national event of the year with huge celebrations in orange coloured streets, music festivals, bulging bars and terraces… Well, this year was different, because this year we were bound to celebrate King’s Day in our homes.
Of course we’ve made it as cozy – typically Dutch ‘gezellig’ – as possible on this sunny day. One great delicacy we've enjoyed is an #absolutelydelicious apple pie snack mix, based on typical Dutch apple pie. Long live the King!
#stayathome #stayhomestaysafe #physicaldistancing #thinkinginsolutions #highquality #uniqueproducts #serviceonly #100%natural
April 2020
Crispy breakfast next level
Honey coated hazelnuts, caramelised diced almonds or maple pumpkin seeds. Examples of ingredients to bring your granola, muesli or cruesli to the next level. Our caramelised nuts, seeds and grains are #100%natural and the key differentiator for your breakfast cereals and (salad) toppings.
Virgin Nuts is the producer of (ingredients in) many well-known breakfast cereals. Our caramelised nuts, seeds and cereals not only add an #absolutelydelicious flavour, but also an irresistible crunch to distinguish your granola, muesli or cruesli from swampy equivalents.
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April 2020
Almonds vs cookies
At Virgin Nuts we’re always developing new flavour combinations. Our recent product innovation just screams to be shown to the world. Where the combination nuts in cookies is quite common, we turned the world upside-down and created… nuts in cookies! You may think it’s the same, but it’s surprisingly different and #absolutelydelicious, if we may say so.
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April 2020
Happy Easter!
It's probably the strangest Easter ever, without long time family traditions. In the past few weeks numerous creative solutions have emerged to still spend valuable time with friends and family.
Thanks to apps like FaceTime, WhatsApp group video call, Zoom, etc., we can still meet, eat and play games together with our loved ones, without compromising the #physicaldistancing measure.
Synchronize your brunch tables and contact the ones you want to spend Easter with. Eat, chat and enjoy!
We wish you all Happy Easter.
April 2020
Virgin Nuts core values, 5 important promises to you
Besides living up to the highest quality, food safety, CSR, human rights and fair business standards and supporting charities, we make the best coated nuts in the world and more... And we cannot do this without our committed staff and loyal customers. Together we’ve defined 5 core values that emphasize who we are and what we do, hence our main promises to you: #thinkinginsolutions #highquality #uniqueproducts #serviceonly #100%natural... thus100%!
To remind ourselves every day, our core values are distributed on the walls of both our main as well as our #peanutfree factory.
Entering the factories, our slogan above the entrances shows that we’re stepping into the world where we make the best coated nuts and more...
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April 2020
Spring holidays 2020
During the upcoming holidays, our factories will be closed on:
- 10 April: Good Friday
- 13 April: Easter Monday
- 27 April: King's Day
- 5 May: Liberation Day
- 21 May: Ascension Day (22 May: Factories closed)
- 1 June: Whit Monday
Contact us for more information about our production scheduling during the upcoming spring holidays. We wish you happy days!
March 2020
Tulips for Food
In times of crisis, beautiful initiatives emerge that show solidarity, strength and entrepreneurship. While we, as a producer in the food industry, are in full business, many other businesses are currently struggling, for instance the flower industry.
By supporting the initiative Tulpen voor Voedsel (Tulips for Food) we firstly want to thank our employees for all their hard work and commitment. Thank you so much guys and girls!
Furthermore we want to thank all supermarket employees who make sure that everyone can keep on buying toilet paper and enjoying our products. And last, but definitely not least, we want to thank the employees of all care centers for taking such good care of the most vulnerable during this corona crisis. Thank you all!
Tulpenvoorvoedsel.nl is an initiative of Michiel van t Hek and Wilma Mesman (assisted by Tulpen Promotie Nederland, Van Der Slot Transport en ID Unlimited bv), that encourages the flourishing food industry/retail to support the growers by buying their fields full of (otherwise unsold) flowers for their employees.
March 2020
Caramelised pecans @ Cherry garden wedding
Kirsten Molkenboer, chocolate maker/pastry chef at Puur Tamminga in Veenendaal (NL), achieved an honorable 4th place in the national competition for “De Gouden IJscreatie” ("The Golden Ice Cream Creation"). Caramelised pecans from Virgin Nuts were part of her creation "Wedding in the cherry garden".
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March 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Precautions
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Virgin Nuts introduced necessary measures to prevent COVID-19 from affecting our organisation. Business continues as usual, but of course we extended our strict hygiene procedures. Staff is divided over 2 buildings and everyone is instructed to keep as much distance to each other as possible. All (un)loading activities are performed with the utmost care to protect all people involved. Another measure is that we actively keep out visitors. We're in this together and we hope that all measures taken will pay off soon. Keep safe!
More information? Do not hesitate to Contact us.
March 2020
12th BRCGS Food Safety certificate!
Yesss! For the 12th year in a row, we passed our annual BRCGS Food Safety audit with glance and again the highest AA-level is achieved. More good news: our second facility (which is peanut free, especially for the food industry) will be included in the new certificate (April 2020). All of our unique and delicious sweet coated diced nuts and seeds optionally can be produced peanut free as well (and that’s rather unique too)… #peanutfree naturally!
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March 2020
Crispy chocolate ingredients
Chocolate is #absolutelydelicious… PERIOD(.) Imagine that extra dimension if chocolate is enriched by caramelised nuts, seeds or puffed grains… #WOW.
Virgin Nuts is specialised in caramelising chocolate ingredients in many, only natural, flavours. Besides that the nuts and (puffed) cereals remain crunchy, it prevents fat bloom and that makes every #chocolateproducer and #chocolatelover very happy.
February 2020
New Dry roasted product line is growing
Until recently, Virgin Nuts was solely known for its extensive and unique range of natural flavoured caramelised nuts. In the spring of 2019 we added a new product range which was introduced at the PLMA in Amsterdam. Our customers are increasingly recognizing and appreciating these Dry roasted and deliciously spiced snacks. This month we signed a major contract with one of the largest Northern European wholesalers in the nut sector.
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February 2020
Virgin Nuts @ ISM (Cologne)
On February 4, 2020 Virgin Nuts visited ISM 2020 in Cologne (Germany).
ISM - world's largest and most important confectionery trade fair - is an annual event in Cologne, Germany (Koelnmesse).
The upcoming ISM is from 31 January to 3 February 2021.