FEATURES
Growing Up With Fairway >> THE BELBERRY STORY by Lori Jean Levy
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any vendors have become dear friends; we have spent a good deal of time together. It has been a pleasure to see some of these small, family-operated businesses grow right along with Fairway Market. One of our all-time favorite specialty lines comes from a small village in West Flanders, Belgium. Belberry is the maker of exquisite fruit preserves, marmalades, sauces, vinegars, and p창te de fruit.
make fruit preserves for the local market that became highly sought after. The wife of the town pharmacist approached Mr. Vandererfven with an ancient family recipe for marmalade that she implored him to make for her as she had become too old to continue to do so herself. Mr. Vandererfven did indeed produce the marmalade and sold it alongside the fruit preserves in his own market.
Like Fairway Market, Belberry began as a small family business, and it has grown to become an internationally renowned brand sold and served in the finest shops, hotels, and specialty markets in more than 40 countries.
Life was good; business was very good. Some 34 years later, Mr. Vandererfven, hoping to enjoy his sunset years, looked to his five children to take over his beloved shop. The eldest three sons and daughter were already ensconced in their own food related endeavors, so all eyes were on the youngest, Thierry Vandererfven, who was a mere 21-years old at the time. Young Thierry had been a bit of a rebel compared to his siblings. Having left school
How It All Began Back in 1956, Andre Vandererfven took over a small existing specialty grocery shop in Kortrijk, Belgium. He began to
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