Royal Steensma finds solution for drying of candied fruit

FRANEKER – Manufacturer of bakery ingredients Royal Steensma has found a solution for the drying of candied fruit, an area of expertise in which the company is the market leader. Usually this proces takes place in Franeker, but due to a fire two weeks ago, which destroyed the drying hall, the company had to look for alternatives. We have found these with two companies in Germany: the drying halls we found have the production capacity and time to start straight away according to the same quality our customers are used to.

Process
A limited amount of the fruits candied by Royal Steensma  – berries, cherries, orange and lemon peel, undergo the drying procedure through different methods. This is necessary to make the product suitable for the use in biscuits, muesli, chocolate bars or granola. Thanks to the extensive network of Royal Steensma a temporary solution has been found within two weeks after the fire. The manufacturer of bakery ingredients already had good experiences working together with the Germans before. As expected, thanks to this co-operation, our customers will not experience any negative effects because of the fire in Franeker.

Cause
The cause of the fire is still unknown but arson is out of the question. The cause is most likely of a technical nature. In the meantime the first sketches for the new building are being made.  

Touched
CEO Rimmert de Jong mentions how deeply touched he is by the unity within the company to get arrange alternatives. “The fact that we have found a drying solution this quickly, is an example of this unity. It makes me even more proud of the employees than I was before.” He further praises the numerous offers of support which he received after the fire, even until today. “It gives you a warm feeling that so many people sympathize with you. We owe everybody our gratitude for that. It gives us the courage and energy to start with rebuilding.”