A FAMILY TRADITION

In 1964 Joop Bart ('32 - '01) registered with the Chamber of Commerce as a supplier of the hotel and catering industry. With his knowledge of the potatoe, vegetables and fruit trade, Joop Bart saw sufficient reasons to approach the hotel and catering industry. Between '69 and '71, he opened various liquor stores, named 'De Vrije Drankenhandel', in Alkmaar, Zaandam and Hoorn. More or less by coincidence Café-Restaurant 'Het Wiener Café' in Hoorn was taken over. The necessary wines were bought through various importers and commission-agents. However, shortly thereafter in 1972, Joop Bart visited the wine countries, sometimes accompanied by his wife Alie. He imported various leading wines on a exclusive basis for the Dutch market. With the newly acquired estates, Kuentz-bas in the Alsace, Bouchard Ainé et fils in Burgundy, J. Vidal Fleury in the Rhone amongst others, the hotel and catering industry was approached. In 1976 storage space was rented in 'Fort Spijkerboor'. The business was so successfull that by the end of the '70's the liquor stores were sold and deliveries were exclusively made to the hotel and catering industry. Joop's son Henk ('58) joined the company after completing various traineeships in Rheingau and Burgundy. In 1981 the present Fort Benoorden Purmerend was bought. The focus was shifted from buying from a trading firm to direct buying from the producer. Quality wines, direct from the producer and exclusively for the hotel and catering industry was a big success. As a result, in 1988 Wijnimport J. Bart at the Food Center Amsterdam was opened. These premises were managed by Joop's other son Hans (1962-2004). Hans left the company in 2002. Wijnimport J. Bart is now a flexible family company, owned by Henk Bart, with the assistance of his wife Wilma and 40 enthusiastic, 'winecrazy' employees. Purchase, sales, transport and complete support to the hotel, catering industry and corporate market are in our own hands. We are all very proud and we know for sure: Joop Bart wouldn't have wanted it any other way.