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

Those breaks with long queues at the local supermarket or sandwich shop, tasteless cafeteria meals and unhealthy snacks.

Recognizable?

For Pauline Geldof and Andreas De Ridder as well. In 2020, the two colleagues dived into the entrepreneurial adventure and founded Gus Foods together. The idea behind their Brussels start-up: a smart fridge with fresh, healthy and local products available around the clock. Yogurt, fresh sandwiches, hot meals, desserts and more are spread over the compartments. Every day, the fridge gets a fresh load of those breakfast and lunch options, snacks, and beverages. Flexible catering, so to speak. The products are as natural as possible, made with love by Belgian suppliers. Mouth-watering yet?

Source: Gus Foods

2. JustBite

Fighting that famous afternoon slump with some source of fast 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. That's why in 2018 he came up with healthy snack boxes that he launched under the name JustBite. He personally selects snacks with high-quality and natural ingredients, such as cookies, responsible alternatives to crisps and popcorn, loose nuts, seeds and kernels and (freeze) dried fruit. These are produced by social enterprises or other local brands and wrapped in sustainable packaging. If you take out a subscription, you will receive a personalized box every month, adapted to diets and allergies. Part of the proceeds of JustBite will go to SuperKracht Lekker of the Children's Cancer Fund, a project that supports sick children with healthy and balanced nutrition.

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 quotations and following up on subscriptions... Before you know it, you're spending time you don't actually have.

Rayon to the rescue!

In 2021, meal kit supplier Foodbag introduced a brand new offering for businesses. Rayon is the first Belgian one-stop-shop that provides a complete package of prepared food and drinks. For its product range, the company joins forces with local producers. Two days a week you will be served ready-made lunches, a mix of fresh salads, fresh soups and fish, meat or vegetarian dishes in recyclable packaging. You can also choose a box with seasonal and exotic pieces of fruit or a varied stock 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 Rayon team 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 flavour. The latter can be served as an appetizer or added as a crunchy topping. In case you don'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

You want to make a positive contribution to the environment and the health of your employees. But where can you find a full-fledged alternative to the traditional soda machine, including its chemical mess and unnecessary packaging waste?

In 2020, Colin Deblonde, Lucas Moreau, Lukas Marivoet and Mathijs Vanacker unleashed their Ghent start-up Dripl on the world. Their mission: serve healthy (soft) drinks (read: Dripl Drinks) and avoid as much packaging as possible. 1 million by the end of 2022, to be exact. The current route of the soft drink industry is not sustainable: 1.3 billion beverage containers end up in the trash every day. Moreover, soft drinks are 80% water, which involves unnecessary transportation. Dripl's Refill Point connects to the water supply and purifies and cools the water. You can fill your glass or water bottle with lemonade, sparkling or flavoured water. The flavours contain natural ingredients and 75% less sugar than traditional soft drinks. Depending on your choice, you stimulate your immune system or boost your energy levels.

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!