The Consolidation Wave? Alfa Fish Intends to Ride It
- François Remy
- Apr 3
- 2 min read
The market trajectory is obvious, concedes Steven Timmermans, co-owner of the family business Alfa Fish, on the sidelines of the Gondola Foodservice Congress where he was a speaker. "But we see a real opportunity in it."
The future of the Belgian wholesale food distribution market? A broad debate was on the agenda of our congress this Thursday, marked by a particular trend. "Acquisitions continue to energize our sector," observes Julien Mahieu, director of procurement at Sligro Food Group BE, the Belgian branch of the primary foodservice distributor in the Netherlands. "It’s not about becoming the biggest fish in the pond; it’s about actively steering the combined organization to strengthen purpose, empower people, and better serve customers"
It is a vision that Steven Timmermans, for his part, qualified. The co-director of Alfa Fish, the largest supplier of mussels for the Horeca sector, does not hide his ambitions: "to become the number one fish wholesaler in Belgium, offering our customers the strongest overall value proposition in fish – through outstanding service, top quality, and competitive pricing."
Having taken over the company that their father founded in 1997 with his brother Christophe eight years ago, he noted some key figures during the event: the ten main players in the Belgian market generate two-thirds of the total turnover, while margins are structurally low, ranging between 0.5 and 2.0 percent.
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This reality leaves little doubt: "our sector is heading toward a wave of consolidation. At Alfa Fish, we see this not as a threat, but as an opportunity," Steven Timmermans asserts.
The management of the Brecht-based company appears very determined to accelerate its growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. This strategy has already been recognized at the European level. Indeed, the company appears in the 2026 edition of the Financial Times FT 1000 ranking, which distinguishes the fastest-growing companies.
Alfa Fish has grown from a regional player generating approximately 4 million euros in turnover to a wholesaler now reaching nearly 40 million euros. Over the same period, the volumes handled have increased eightfold, reaching approximately 4,000 tonnes of fish per year. The company now relies on about forty full-time equivalents, a fleet of about twenty refrigerated vehicles, and a daily delivery capacity covering Belgium and the south of the Netherlands.
Alfa Fish completed a defining step last year with the acquisition of the assets of its competitor, Al-Vis. This operation focused on a comparable player with complementary customer portfolios and consistent geographical footprints. Beyond capital transactions, the company is also investing in its infrastructure, with a new processing site.
In a sector set to undergo profound restructuring, the fish wholesaler intends to lead the movement among active consolidators rather than suffering the effects of counter-currents.
