To start off, can you tell us a bit more about yourself and your role at Iberdeli? 

I am Nicolaas van den Berg, born and raised in the beautiful town of Ridderkerk. 

About ten years ago, I had my first taste of a grilled Secreto from the Iberico pig during a fishing weekend by a beautiful lake in Southern Spain. Once back home, I did some research about this product and ended up at Iberdeli. Shortly after, when I heard they needed someone in the cold storage I joined their team. 

At Iberdeli, I am part of the team that handles the day-to-day operations in the cold storage. We receive high quality meat from all around the world every week. Our goal is to process and prepare these products as quickly as possible for delivery to our customers. It’s a beautiful and challenging process, where providing excellent service is of utmost importance. 

How does a typical workday look for you? 

During the workday, I am involved in receiving and preparing orders for all our customers. This includes that one moment I may be operating the reach truck, and the next moment I could be using the pallet jack. Never a dull moment, as both transporters and customers come throughout the day to pick up their products

Where does your passion for meat come from? 

Nothing comes close to grilling a delicious piece of meat with family and friends and sharing stories. That, to me, is true wealth. The smell of grilled meat on the BBQ, who wouldn’t be happy about that? It brings us closer together. 

What safety measures and protocols does Iberdeli apply in the cold storage to ensure product quality? 

At Iberdeli, we follow a set procedure to ensure that we receive the meat in good condition. Upon arrival, we measure the temperature and keep track of everything with a checklist. In this way, we safeguard the quality of the products. 

What has been the most fun company party or team event ever and why? 

That’s an easy question! Every team outing at Iberdeli is fun and enjoyable because they allow us to get to know each other in a relaxed environment. 

If I had to choose one, it should be the weekend trip to Barcelona - an unforgettable experience for which I am very grateful. Everything was perfectly organized. The fact that these kinds of outings are arranged speaks volumes about Iberdeli as an organization. The people ‘behind the scenes’ are also very important. 

Finally, with which colleague would you like to switch places for a week and why? 

I would love to switch roles with our colleague Jerry. He is always cheerful, talking to customers, and that seems like a lot of fun. It would allow me to build a more personal relationship with our customers. Moreover, as a true meat lover I enjoy explaining our products to others.