With the official return to the workplace, spontaneous chats with colleagues and smooth meetings without a mute button are revived. 70% of employees are already satisfied with this evolution. But how do you convince the die-hard teleworking fan to throw his sweatpants aside and leave the cat alone again? Every small adjustment can make a big difference. Meet 6 innovative Belgian start-ups that make the return to the office more pleasant.

1. Gus Foods

One of those breaks with endless lines at the local supermarket or sandwich store, tasteless cafeteria meals and unhealthy snacks. Recognizable?

For Pauline Geldof and Andreas De Ridder as well. In 2020, the two colleagues dove into the entrepreneurial adventure and together they got Gus Foods off the ground. The idea behind their Brussels start-up: a smart refrigerator with fresh, healthy and local products available around the clock. Yogurt, fresh sandwiches, hot meals, desserts and more are spread across the shelves.

Every day the refrigerator gets a fresh load of those breakfast and lunch options, snacks and drinks. Flexible catering, so to speak. The products are as natural as possible, made with love by Belgian suppliers. Already salivating?

Source: Gus Foods

2. JustBite

Fighting that famous afternoon dip with some source of quick sugars, who isn't guilty of it?

As an avid athlete with a passion for nutrition, Kevin Ringoot discovered that snacks are often not as healthy as they promise to be. That's why he came up with healthy snack boxes in 2018, which he launched under the name JustBite. He self-selects snacks with high-quality and natural ingredients, such as cookies, responsible alternatives to chips and popcorn, loose nuts, seeds and kernels and freeze-dried fruit. These are produced by custom companies or other local brands and wrapped in sustainable packaging.

If you subscribe, you will receive a personalized box each month, adapted to diets and allergies. A portion of JustBite's proceeds, by the way, go to the Children's Cancer Fund's SuperPowerful Delicious, a project that supports sick children with healthy and balanced food.

Source: JustBite

3. Upfront

At Upfront, they assume that what is sincere wins. Their product is an open book where all the ingredients are clearly written on the front of their packaging. In addition, they also strive to be healthy but also the fuel for your body. More energy, focus and productivity. Looking better and living a longer healthy life. That's what we all want, right?

Source: Upfront

4. District

You want to reward your employees for their hard work with a healthy lunch or snacks. Enthusiastically you get to work: contacting suppliers, comparing offers and following up on subscriptions... Before you know it, you're spending time you don't really have.

Rayon to the rescue!

In 2021, meal box supplier Foodbag introduced a brand new offer for companies. Rayon is the first Belgian one-stop shop to provide a complete package of prepared food and drinks. For its assortment, the company joins forces with local producers. Two days a week you will be served ready-to-eat lunches, a mix of fresh salads, fresh soups and fish, meat or vegetarian dishes in recyclable packaging.

You can also choose a box of seasonal and exotic pieces of fruit or a varied supply of vegan, raw and gluten-free snacks. Or how about a package of drinks based on 100% natural ingredients? Depending on your preference, all you need is a microwave and space in the fridge, the team at Rayon will take care of the rest.

Source: Rayon

5. Northern Wonder

Coffee without the aftertaste of deforestation. This is the new coffee, without real coffee beans. This coffee-free coffee looks like coffee, tastes like coffee, and you can brew it as usual. Enjoy your daily brew, without deforestation.

We love coffee. But we also love our planet. Since food technologists are succeeding in making meat without animals, they asked them, "can we make coffee without beans that only grow in the tropics?"  What if they could make their favorite elixir from local ingredients? The first results are delicious, and they're just getting started.

Source : Northern wonder

6. Kriket

How do you bring a touch of adventure to your everyday routine?

In 2018, Michiel and Anneleen Van Meervenne brought Kriket to market. Brother and sister launched gluten-free bars made from organic nuts, grains, seeds and ... crickets. They use cricket flour from the Brussels cricket farm Little Food. Meanwhile, their range has expanded to include nutritious granola and crunchy crickets seasoned with a flavor. The latter can be served as an appetizer or added as a crunchy topping.

In case you didn't already know: their hefty dose of protein, fiber, iron and zinc make crickets a healthy food source. Plus, they contain more vitamin B12 than salmon, more iron than beef and almost as much calcium as milk. The little heroes are also good for the planet. For example, they emit fewer greenhouse gases and are more water-efficient than livestock.

Source: Kriket

7. Foodm

Headquartered in Kontich, Mathias and Bram strive for a healthy lifestyle in the workplace by creating a personalized offer of everything you can dream of. They do this thanks to Foodm.

Their mission is to facilitate a healthy lifestyle for employees by offering a personalized assortment of meals and snacks 24/7. Thanks to the Foodm Smart Fridge, employees can make the most of their time. Fancy a hot meal, salad, poke bowl or just a snack? In a few easy steps via the app, you can choose your choice from the smart fridge and enjoy a delicious and healthy meal. Keep an eye on things thanks to the mobile application and stay up to date with what's in your smart fridge at any time of the day.

As their slogan says: your favourite food, always nearby. Isn't that great?

Source: Foodm

8. Falafal

Food leftovers always end up in the bin, but they can be perfectly reused. With Falaval's falafel, which is made from green waste streams, they want to show and taste that a lot of food waste is actually not real waste.

Surely it is high time to put an end to mega-waste of food; Our entire food system must and can be more sustainable and fairer. In it, they find a shared passion with The Hunger Project. We are extremely proud to be able to work with them towards a future with both zero waste and zero hunger. Because we know from experience; food tastes better when it's good!

Source : Falafal

9. Dripl

Dripl is a Belgian scale-up founded by Lucas Moreau and Colin Deblonde with a clear goal: to completely reinvent the soft drink industry based on sustainability, health and convenience!

The Refill Point is the epitome of that vision in action. This smart device filters, cools and carbonizes local tap water and mixes it with natural, sugar-free flavors. Depending on your choice, you stimulate your immune system or boost your energy levels.

It is intuitive, low-maintenance and effortlessly links to sustainable objectives such as ISO 14001. Plus, the Refill Point measures in real time how much packaging your company is avoiding.

The success is tangible: Today, more than 500+ companies in Belgium and the Netherlands have a Refill Point installed. Together, they already avoid more than 12 million packages, with the ambition to avoid 1 billion packages across Europe by 2030. 💪

What makes these Belgian start-ups so special?

Innovative and sustainable as they are, Gus Foods, JustBite, Canteen, Kriket and Dripl have a number of similarities:

• What you eat and drink affects your health and performance. Then comes the 'but': unfortunately, the average workplace pays little attention to this. By bringing tasty, nutritious products within reach, the start-ups lower the threshold to healthy eating and drinking habits. They make your employees feel fitter and more energetic. And better performance has a positive impact on the entire company.
  
  
• A break at your desk doesn't count, but a nice break with colleagues does. The five companies all contribute to this. Such free moments give energy and strengthen connections. And after that, your team can get back to work.
  
  
• Through their collaboration with local producers, the start-ups opt for a short food chain. This approach guarantees fresh and high-quality food, reduces energy consumption and limits transport and packaging waste. Moreover, a short chain ensures a fair price for the supplier and consumer.
  
  
• With their sustainable offerings, the companies try to have as little impact on the environment and nature as possible. They do this by, among other things, reducing their CO2 emissions and using sustainable, recyclable or even no packaging.

Participate in the Refillution

Want to try Dripl's packaging-free drink dispenser? In 3 simple steps to a healthier and tastier alternative to traditional soft drinks:

1. Choose your flavour and intensity: a dash of ginger-lime or maté? Or prefer an intense dose of cranberry or iced tea?
2. Select still or sparkling water
3. Fill your glass or reusable bottle

Request your tasting box today!