The Enchanting History of IL SELEZIONE
Established in 1897 by Govert van Herk, Cheese Wholesaler. The Van Herk Company has a rich and storied past. From its headquarters on the Delftsestraat in the heart of Rotterdam, the company diligently delivered an extensive range of cheeses to local farmers, grocers, and water stokers via cargo bikes and dog carts.
Regrettably, during the Second World War, the building on Delftsestraat was unfortunately lost. However, Cheese Wholesaler Van Herk demonstrated remarkable resilience and continued its operations on the adjacent Zaagmolenstraat in Rotterdam.
The advent of new times brought about significant changes for the company. As a result, Cheese Wholesaler Van Herk embarked on a journey of expansion, gradually increasing its supply to market traders in Rotterdam. This marked a pivotal moment in the company’s history, leading to its gradual growth and transformation into the esteemed institution it is today.
In 1985, we relocated to the Rotterdam Wholesale Market and have since expanded our operations to include the HORECA and Food Service industries.
We established a dairy manufacturing and processing facility in Thessaloniki, Greece and commenced the production of Mozzarella Cheese in Blocks, Shredded and Diced.
- We commenced the importation of food and beverages from Polish factories and subsequently established representation in the Netherlands, Greece and Italy.
- We initiated the production of Gouda cheese in Blocks, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We commenced the importation of food and beverages from Greece and subsequently distributed them across the Netherlands, Greece and Italy.
- We started the the production of Edam cheese in Blocks, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- Our initial export destination was Asia.
- We have established exclusive agreements with food and beverage manufacturers in Belgium and represent them in the Netherlands, Greece and Italy.
- Our initial export destination was Africa.
- We obtained the ISO 9001 certification.
- We commenced the production of Kashkaval Cheese in Blocks, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have established a processing facility in Bodegraven, the Netherlands, at 2411NS. This facility enables us to import globally semi-finished products and complete the process to make them ready for consumption.
- We expanded our facility in Thessaloniki, Greece, investing in new production lines to double our output capacity for both dairy and analogue products.
- We obtained the certification ISO 22000.
- We created our own brands: “Il Selezione” and "Gran Maestro"
- We established a aging facilty for Gouda and Maasdam Cheese Wheels in Bodegraven, the Netherlands under our Company Korver Kaas.
- We commenced offering our international clientele a diverse range of food and beverages under our proprietary brands, "Il Selezione".
- Our inaugural export transaction was executed to the North American market.
- We obtained the HACCP certification.
- Our first export was made to South America.
- We initiated the production of White Cheddar Cheese in Blocks, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have obtained Halal certification.
- Our first export was made to Oceania.
- We have commenced the production of Gouda cheese in Wheels, Blocks, Shredded, Diced, Cuts and Sliced.
- We have started the production of Red Cheddar Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have commenced the production of Emmental cheese in Wheels, Blocks, Shredded, Diced, Cuts and Sliced.
- To enhance our distribution capabilities, we have expanded our warehouse in 2411NS Bodegraven, Netherlands to accommodate chilled and frozen products. This expansion allows us to consolidate containers containing a diverse range of products from all our facilities, enabling us to efficiently supply our international customers.
- We have expanded our facility in Thessaloniki, Greece, investing in new production lines to triple our output capacity for both dairy and analogue products.
- We initiated the production of Maasdam Cheese in Wheel, Block, Shredded, Diced, Cuts and Slices.
- We have started the Production of Analogue Mozzarella Cheese in Block, Shredded and Diced.
- We have commenced the production of Analogue Edam Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We initiated the production of Analogue Gouda Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have established a new distribution warehouse in 2411PZ Bodegraven, Netherlands, with the capability to receive, re-pack, re-label, store and load all kind of Food & Beverages in ambient, chilled and frozen conditions.
- We established a new Commercial Division at Via Roma 7-9, 16121 Genoa, Italy and centralize our export activities under our company Elnira Srl.
- We participated as an exhibitor at Marca 2023 in Bologna, Italy.
- We established a new Procurement Office in Turkiye to centralize our non-eu purchases under our company Anaturalis Ltd Sti.
- We participated as an exhibitor at SIAL 2024 in Paris, France.
- We have started the production of Analogue White Cheddar Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have commenced the production of Red Cheddar Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We initiated the production of Analogue Emmental Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We have started the production of Analogue Maasdam Cheese in Block, Shredded, Diced and Sliced.
- We relocated our Commercial Division "Elnira Srl" to Via Risorgimento 212, 51015 Monsummano - Terme, Italy.
Via Risorgimento 212
51015 Monsummano - Terme
Italy
2411NS Bodegraven
Netherlands