Fresh fruits with impact: processed locally, delivered globally

How can you get fresh-cut fruits in the Netherlands that are perfectly ripe, delicious, and fairly produced? Blue Skies found the answer to this very question.

The story of the British company started 28 years ago with an idea from the founder, Anthony Pile, who was dissatisfied with the quality of imported fruit. The problem? Fruit was picked unripe to survive the long transportation—at the expense of taste and nutritional value. Moreover, the transport was not efficient—even foliage and peel, as with pineapple, went on the boat. With cut fruit, only the edible part remains. Pile came up with a solution: let the fruit ripen locally, cut and pack it directly where it is grown, and then transport it by plane to Europe in a cooled state. Skin and pits remain in the country of origin where they are turned into compost for growing even better fruits.

Blue Skies collaborates with Kuehne+Nagel for the transportation of their products from tropical locations to Dutch supermarkets. “Kuehne+Nagel is flexible, is reliable and thinks about sustainability—exactly what we need in this chain,” says Paul van Breukelen, Sales Director at Blue Skies.

Social Impact

Blue Skies collaborates closely with local farmers in countries like Ghana where finished products are made where the food is grown. This local activity ensures that benefits go directly to the communities. “Adding value at the source means that economic benefits stay with the people at the beginning of the chain, fostering employment and development,” adds Paul.

This approach has helped regions like the Ghanaian village of Nsawam, where many Blue Skies employees live. The village has seen significant development, with improved incomes, better education, and enhanced infrastructure.

Reliable supply Chain

Blue Skies' products are transported in the bellies of passenger planes. “People often don't realise that we use the capacity of passenger planes that are flying anyway,” adds the Commercial Director. “We avoid using cargo planes unnecessarily and in contrast to most others, we are not transporting the skin, pits and other waste from fruit processing”.

Once the products arrive at Schiphol Airport, Kuehne+Nagel transfers the containers immediately to their refrigerated storage facilities, where the fruits are palletised for further distribution. “Most of the fruits go from tree to shelf within 48 hours,” says Paul. “That speed is important for quality, something to be proud of. It's nice that Kuehne+Nagel offers us a dedicated team of specialists. They are the last ones to see our fruits before they go to the supermarket, so they play an important role in quality.”

Working together for sustainability

Blue Skies and Kuehne+Nagel are working together to make the supply chain more sustainable, including reducing and recycling packaging materials. For example, they have optimised transportation processes to use less cardboard, focusing on transporting as cost effective and climate friendly as possible. “Partners like Kuehne+Nagel support this sustainability drive, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement in the supply chain,” concludes Paul.