Building a Dutch Seafood Business in Hong Kong

Can you tell us about your background before moving to Asia?
I originally come from a fishing village in Zeeland, the Netherlands, where there has always been a strong connection to seafood and trade. Despite that background, I initially went into a different direction. I studied for my master’s degree in London and later worked in the property business in Rotterdam. I was also expected to eventually join the family business, but at that stage I was still exploring different paths. My career was stable, I had just bought an apartment, and everything was set in real estate. A friend invited me on a trip to Asia, which turned out to be a turning point. I visited Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and mainland China, including Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and the Canton Fair. That trip gave me my first real exposure to the region and its scale, especially in food consumption and trade. I noticed how significant seafood consumption was across Hong Kong and mainland China.

After returning to the Netherlands, I started thinking seriously about the opportunity. I saw that Dutch seafood—especially mussels and oysters—had strong potential in Asia.

At the time, however, most producers in the Netherlands were not interested. Common reasons were language barriers, lack of time, or discomfort with entering a market so far away. Eventually, I made a difficult decision. At 26, I quit my job in real estate, left the idea of joining the family business, and decided to focus fully on exporting Dutch seafood to Asia.

I first moved to Shenzhen around 2014. I wanted to understand the differences between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, which are often seen as similar from a European perspective but are actually very different in practice.

After about a year, I moved to Hong Kong and set up the office there. At that point, I had only spent a few days in the city before moving, so I essentially started from zero.

How did you start your operations in Hong Kong?

Initially, it was pure wholesale. I approached hotels and restaurants directly, often by simply calling or visiting them. I had no established network, so I had to build everything step by step. I noticed recurring supplier names in the market, which helped me understand the structure of the industry. Eventually, I connected with experienced local partners in Hong Kong who had been in the seafood business for decades. Instead of trying to compete against established networks, I built a cooperation model: I would bring the product and sales effort, while logistics and distribution were handled with local partners.

Did you see a clear gap in the Hong Kong market for seafood?

At first, I thought there was a clear gap for Dutch seafood. That perception changed quickly once I saw how global and competitive the market really is. You don’t change the local market—you adapt to it. For example, oysters behave like wine: different origins create different flavour profiles, and customers are highly aware of that. Our positioning became less about being “Dutch” and more about quality, food safety, and reliability. The Netherlands is strong in hygiene standards and food safety, which became a key differentiator. We are not the cheapest supplier, but we aim to be one of the most consistent and trusted.

The early years were extremely difficult. There were moments where no business came in at all, and the financial pressure was significant. Looking back, if I had fully understood how hard it would be, I might not have started. But once you commit, you adapt. The key was persistence and building trust in a very relationship-driven market like Hong Kong, where reputation spreads quickly and mistakes have long-term consequences.

Over time, the company expanded beyond Dutch seafood alone. In addition to Dutch mussels, the business now imports and distributes premium oysters from Ireland and France, including products supplied to major hotels, clubs, and casinos in Hong Kong and Macau.

Mussels are still one of our strongest products. I genuinely believe Dutch mussels are among the best in the world. For oysters, however, the market is broader and highly international.

You have excellent oysters from Ireland, France, Australia, and the Netherlands. The key for us is not only sourcing the product, but also adding another layer of quality control. Many products are consolidated in the Netherlands, where additional food hygiene checks, testing, and logistics coordination take place before shipment to Asia.

In Hong Kong and Macau, reputation is everything. If you do one thing wrong, people know immediately. While price competitiveness remains important, competing purely on price is impossible.There will always be someone cheaper, so the focus has to be on quality, consistency, and relationships. That philosophy also shapes the company’s broader business model. Rather than acting purely as a supplier, the company increasingly collaborates with hospitality groups on concepts and customer experiences. For example, the team is currently working with a restaurant group to develop a recurring “Seafood Wednesday” promotion across multiple venues. They buy the seafood from us, but we also help them build the concept itself. That creates much more value than simply delivering a box of products.

Another important factor is physical presence in the market. You need to live where you do business. Especially in Asia, relationships matter. If you only visit once or twice a year, you will never build the trust needed for long-term growth.

How did COVID affect your business model?

Seafood Friday started around 2019, initially as a small community idea through a WhatsApp group. It grew quickly from a small group into several hundred members. We launched it shortly before COVID, which dramatically changed our business. Our wholesale business dropped to nearly zero within weeks due to hotel closures. At that point, we accelerated the online side of the business. Seafood Friday became both a sales channel and a marketing platform, helping us stay visible during the pandemic.

COVID forced a major shift. Wholesale collapsed almost overnight, so we focused more on direct-to-consumer and online delivery. When the market recovered, wholesale returned, but the online business remained as a stable additional revenue stream. Today, Seafood Friday is still smaller than wholesale, but it has strong growth potential and is increasingly used for events and collaborations.

We currently operate mainly in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia, with occasional supply to Cambodia and Thailand.

What role do events like the herring party play in your business?

Events such as the annual herring party are an important part of maintaining relationships within the Dutch and international business community in Hong Kong.

The collaboration began during COVID, when sponsorship support shifted and Martin stepped in to help continue the event. Over time, the event evolved into a more informal and community-oriented gathering. It’s not really about direct sales, but about visibility, trust, and bringing people together. The events also reflect a broader philosophy behind the business: creating long-term relationships through shared experiences rather than purely transactional interactions.

“It’s a good excuse for people to eat, drink, relax, and connect. That’s often where the real business relationships start.”