Mom's love affair with Dutch snack food blooms into a thriving venture

MANILA, Philippines - Shawarma was a food alien to Filipinos way back in the 70s.  But soon, the tasty Middle East fast-food staple gained a following among Pinoys who came to love the grilled beef shavings wrapped inside a soft, floppy Pita bread.

Shawarma became so popular in the country and even spawned local variations. During the 80s and 90s, there were eateries around the country devoted to serving shawarma alone. To this day, shawarma remains a favorite food of Pinoys.

Hamburgers, spaghetti and french fries are some of the Western foods that Filipinos have embraced as their own simply because they are delicious.

Businesswoman Maribel Bosch is hoping that Kroketten, Netherlands’ favorite snack will also be loved by Filipinos because it is tasty and nutritious.

 Kroketten is a potato ball which is crunchy, filled with cheese and meat and deep fried in a healthy corn oil.

“It’s a fresh take for a snack. I fell in love with it at first bite the first time I went to Holland in the late 90s and I know that even way back, that if I bring it here, my fellow Pinoys will like it as well,” Bosch, who is married to a Dutch, told The Star in an interview.

Bosch annually visits The Netherlands with her family and a trip to Holland, she said, will not be complete without eating her favorite comfort food, the Kroketten.

“Kroketten is a national delicacy in the Netherlands. It is sold in all snack bars, and the frozen section of all supermarkets. In fact, it is even sold in vending machines,” she said.

At that time, Bosch already thought of selling Kroketten in Manila as business.

“Something in me said that Krokettens would appeal to the taste buds of Filipinos because they’re delicious. I knew it could hit the right market and I believe in it very much,” she said.

But Bosch hesitated to start her business then because her children were still very young and motherhood cannot take a backseat.

 “Ten years ago, when I thought of opening a business, I told myself it was not the right time. My eldest then was six, and my youngest was four and I had to devote my time with them because you know you can never go back in time. So I’ve decided to put aside my personal goals to care for my family,” she said. 

But last year, when her kids were already 15 and 17, Bosch felt it was the right time to open up her very own Kroketten store.

 She said that planning for the business took all of 10 years.

 In starting her first Kroketten business, Bosch knew she must modify the food’s taste to suit the Filipino taste. 

“I wanted to localize the taste of Kroketten because the version in Europe is very herby (there are lots of herbs.) I thought I’d make the Dutch balls very Pinoy so we infused local flavors like ground beef, bacon, hotdog, chicken and cheese, longaniza, pork adobo and tuyo flakes. All these flavors offer a savory taste, especially when paired with tasty dips, ” Bosch enthused. 

She also introduced a special size for sharing, the miniballen, designed for Pinoys’ penchant to share food. The miniballen which means little, round balls is the most popular and the best seller in the store. A five-piece mini-ballen costs only P20.

“Our prices are very affordable.  For only P35 per order, consumers can get Kroketten and we offer in three varieties: original kroket, the original oblong shape with ground beef, chicken, and cheese; Kroketballen, by far our store’s most favorite and has three pieces of crunchy potato balls which come with dips,” Bosch said.

Less than a year after opening up her very first store in Alabang, Filinvest,  Bosch said Kroketten has now grown into 12 stores all over Manila,  majority of which are franchise-owned. 

Bosch said that for a very affordable investment of P195,000 (vat exclusive), one can start a business and already own a Kroketten franchise.

“We have a lot of inquiries from retirees and young entrepreneurs, because for a minimal fee, you can already start a business, Hindi siya masyadong mahal kaya magandang business venture” she said.

 Bosch said they have a five-year master plan for Kroketten’s expansion “where hopefully, we can grow into 120 stores.”

 “Our company aims to reach out to all levels of market, from A to C. We never want our products to be intimidating that’s why we also came up with a combo meal-- our five pieces mini ballen costs P20 and our four pieces mini ballen with the 6.5 oz revitalize 10 or Nutri 10 fresh fruit drink costs P35,” added Bosch.

 Aside from the Dutch balls, the stores also sell fresh fruit drinks which are best paired with the snack, she said. 

“Our juices are made from the purest and natural fruit juice minus the white sugar, branded exclusively by Vers En Snel by Kroketten -- a Dutch word which means fresh and fast. Vers En Snel has two signature thirst quenchers. One is a certified health booster made of mango and guyabano, the Nutri 10 on the other hand,is made of strawberry and passion fruit called Revita 10,” she said.

 Asked what her secret is in keeping her business successful, Bosch said: “You have to have faith in your product. I’ve always believed in Kroketten since day one. I knew it would succeed. Opening up a business is not for everyone because it would require 300 percent of you and you really have to devote your time to your business. You have to be courageous, determined, and have the will power to make your business successful. You can’t be half-hearted,” Bosch said.