Joep Gommans wins Limburg Value Ring as 'Innovative Food Entrepreneur' with Fresh for Today

Platform against waste receives prestigious recognition during Week of Our Food

During the presentation of the Limburg Value Ring on Oct. 7, 2025, Joep Gommans, founder of the platform Fresh for Today, was awarded the Value Ring in the category Innovative Food Entrepreneur. The award was presented by Deputy Jasper Kuntzelaers during the Week of Our Food - an initiative revolving around the value of local and sustainable food.

"Being nominated was already special, but to actually receive the Value Ring came as a real surprise - and what a surprise!" says Joep Gommans. "This award feels not only as recognition for me, but especially as a reward for the participating bakers, butchers, greengrocers, cheese and fish stores as well as all the consumers who choose local and sustainable every day."

Fresh for Today: artisanal, local and against waste

With Fresh for Today, Gommans connects consumers with local artisanal fresh food stores. Through the app available for download on the Fresh For Today website, users can purchase daily surprise packs of produce left over at the end of the day. Good for the wallet, local crafts and the environment.

The goal is clear: reduce food waste and make more people fans of fresh, local and fairly produced food. "I want to create a world without food waste and where crafts are once again at the center. And that is only possible if we work together to combat food waste," Gommans said.

About Joep

Joep Gommans grew up among the smell of freshly baked bread and the sound of rotating baking ovens at his parents' bakery in Sevenum. "From childhood I saw how much food is thrown away. For most people, that's just a figure or percentage. But for me it was always a real picture of the amount of piles of crates and garbage bags. Surely that does something to you. So I had that awareness from a young age," Gommans says. Joep, who has been recognized by the government as a "Food Innovator" and was admitted to the Business Innovation Program Food, was encouraged in part by this program to develop Fresh for Today. This program supports innovators in the food industry who are committed to sustainable solutions. Gommans' participation gave him the tools and knowledge to further develop his idea. For this I am also enormously grateful to Ruud Nissen of the Liof, who supported me during this program.

Fresh stores wanted - even if you have little left

The impact is growing, but Joep Gommans wants to scale up further. Fresh for Today is therefore actively looking for new fresh stores - think bakers, butchers, greengrocers, fish and cheese stores - that want to contribute to a world with less food waste and more local enjoyment. Even if you have hardly any produce of your own, connecting can be valuable. Within a radius of 10 kilometers, we connect fresh stores and fresh farms. Together we form a strong local network in which craft, sustainability and cooperation are central. The app is easy to download at www.versvoorvandaag.nl, where you can also read more about our mission and how you can join as a fresh store.

Thanks to those involved

Gommans thanked in his speech not only the organization of the Value Ring, but also Deputy Jasper Kuntzelaers, all the speakers, the other winners and nominees, and Sjaak Berden of LIOF, who nominated him for this special award.

"With Vers voor Vandaag (Fresh for Today) we are fighting against food waste together with countless Limburg fresh food stores and conscious citizens. Our goal? Create more fans for local crafts and work towards a world without waste. That is only possible if we do it together," concludes Gommans.