+75 years of craftmanship
Our history is as rich and varied as the meals we make.
It all started in 1948
1948
Francies Coopman was a Belgian butcher who dared to dream big. Determined to offer quality food at affordable prices, he launched a modest production facility in 1948. He named it ‘Ter Beke’, inspired by the brook and the street where the factory was built, right next to his family home.
Ter Beke quickly became a national success and gradually expanded into more and more European countries.
Deep roots, great flavours
Charcuterie and cold cuts are no longer part of our offering, but they are part of our history. To this day, we continue to benefit from the craftsmanship and network built during that chapter of our journey.
Going public
1986
November 1986 was a key moment, with a listing on the Brussels Stock Exchange. We have been pursuing an active and transparent policy on good governance ever since, with 70% of shares remaining in the hands of family owners.
The year we said ‘Vamos’
1994
Fast forward to 1994, which marks the start of an exciting new chapter. A small company called Vamos catches our eye with their home-made lasagna with fresh bolognese and creamy bechamel sauce. Irresistible! So much so that we acquire the brand, strengthening our commitment to creating great food.
Come a casa®! Pizza, Pronto®!
1996
Pronto®, leading the Belgian market in fresh pizza, lasagna, and other delicious meals, joins our family in 1996. Come a casa® follows soon after.
Spoiler alert: Come a casa® would become our most famous brand. We’re now selling it in various European countries.
The more the merrier
2011
Our lasagnas and pasta meals proved such a hit that we joined forces with Stefano Toselli in France and Pasta Food Company in Poland in 2011 to further expand our business. Our sales offices and distribution channels were also growing, bringing us to South, Central and Eastern Europe. The journey continues!
Crossing the Channel
2017
2017 was the year when we finally crossed the English Channel by merging with KK Fine Foods, offering tasty and trendy ready meals to British consumers. So far, our impressive 75-year heritage has enabled us to sell our products in 37 countries, always meeting the needs of the local consumer.
What’s Cooking?
2023
In 2023, our company embarked on a fresh chapter, with a renewed strategy and a new logo and company name: What’s Cooking? – the question mark underscoring our openness to input and feedback from all our stakeholders.
“Yes we care!” became the powerful tagline for our sustainability focus.
Our main goal is to help customers meet consumer needs, while leading the way in making the food industry more sustainable through innovations in new and existing products, packaging, production processes and services. We are equally dedicated to helping our people flourish in every way possible, because we believe that happy, engaged employees make all the difference.
What’s stirring?
Day by day, we make sustainable food consumption second nature. Ambitious as we are, we focus on sustainability, taste and high quality.
We innovate both internally and through various collaborations. We’re determined to give plant-based foods a bigger stage, in the shape of both classic and trendy dishes – from vegan Mac ‘n Cheese to Ramen noodles.
