The bikers of Plateforme Bio Lokal supplies fresh organic vegetables to restaurants and bars – quickly and emissionfree. Even 200 kg of potatoes do not faze them.
Here muscle power is indispensable. Even when an electric motor provides support. That is immediately apparent when one watches Charles-Louis Mourruau cycling up the steep street that leads through the green vineyards, with Lake Geneva behind him. He exhales deeply and smiles. “That was quite fast, wasn’t it?” For him, such inclines are no problem. He conquers dozens of them daily on his trips with the transport bicycle and frequently cycles 80 kilometers or more. Lausanne is a hilly city. And the bike is carrying a heavy load – usually with regional organic vegetables that are delivered fresh to restaurants, bars and hotels. But Charles-Louis is fit and his bike is equipped with a powerful rear motor. With this combination, he succeeds in delivering the orders to the many customers on time.
The P’tit Bar, a small café in the center of Lausanne, is also among those who put their faith in organic food produced in the region and delivered emission-free. Owner Murielle and her employee accept the delivery from Charles-Louis with a smile. He immediately jumps back in the saddle and rides back to the premises of his small company Plateforme Bio Lokal, located slightly outside the city. There the next delivery is already waiting. And the day is long.
Long working days
Hansjörg Haas is an idealist. And yes, with “Plateforme Bio Lokal,” he wants to improve the world a little bit. “I show the people how things could be.” He got the idea for the organic delivery service in 2013. Back then, he was involved in a different project, when a head chef asked him if he is also able to deliver fresh fruit. In the end, his company evolved from that. “Our values are: local, organic, seasonal and emission-free – those are the four leaves of our clover logo,” says Hansjörg Haas. “We deliver fruit, vegetables, but also flour and milk. Almost everything is sourced from a network of local organic farmers and we deliver it right to the doorstep with our electric transport bicycles. From the field to the plate, so to speak.” Frequently the vegetables are delivered raw, but increasingly it is also prepared in the company’s kitchen, so that the customer only has to perform the final cooking steps. And the service is meeting with appeal. The customer list is getting longer – and with it the working days. For the two bosses, Hansjörg and Charles-Louis, 13 to 14 hours are not uncommon. Charles-Louis says: “As long as I spend half of the day on the bike, it does not bother me.” And the spirit in the team of six people is excellent. “We’ve known each other for a long time and are good friends.”
Read more in the latest issue of „driven“.
Filed Under: maxon Driven
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