History of BOSKA Food Tools
Did you know that BOSKA has been around since 1896 and that we started out by making and selling something completely different than Food Tools? And did you know that BOSKA Food Tools is a company that has been run by the Bos family for four generations? Below you can read more about the rich history of our company.
1896 - Willem Bos takes over the forge in Bodegraven
The forge, where Willem began working as a blacksmith's apprentice in 1883, is given the name Fa. W. Bos Bodegraven. We shoe horses, make farming tools, do repairs for farmers and cheesemakers and also produce skates with a decorative curl.
Hardware store opens
The product range continues to expand, so Willem opens a store on Kerkstraat in Bodegraven that sells cheese and farming tools, building materials, hardware and household products.
Son Jan Willem Bos takes over the store
Despite difficult times in the 1930s and World War II, the hardware store continues to grow. A second location is opened (1937).
Company name is changed to "Bos IJzerwaren Gereedschappen"
The product range now includes home appliances, shavers, prams and toys.
Son Joop Bos takes over
The sale of toys (1974) and household goods (1977) is discontinued. Joop focuses on do-it-yourselfers, construction and cheese tools.
1978 - Separate division for cheese tools is established
Professional cheese tools are developed and produced in-house for working with cheese efficiently, safely and without any cutting loss. This results in the establishment of Bos Kaasgereedschappen B.V. in 1993.
Hardware and tool sales are discontinued
The product range is no longer limited to cheese tools, but also materials for promoting cheese sales, such as cheese replicas, counter materials and displays.
Company relocates to Spanjeweg
Bos Kaasgereedschappen remains in Bodegraven. By this time, cheese slicers and fondue sets have been added to the range and the company acquires its first international customers.
2002 - Son Martijn Bos takes over the company
The company name is changed to Boska Holland. Bos focuses even more on the international market and further expands the consumer range. Boska is the only company in the world that produces cheese tool collections (Cheesewares) for consumers.
Boska opens offices abroad
Apart from the headquarters in the Netherlands, Boska expands between 2005 and 2009 with offices in the U.S. (New York), China, France and Germany.
2016 - Boska wins 6 Red Dot Awards for Product Design
The fact that the cheesewares are not only practical but also stylish results in the winning of six Red Dot Design Awards (the Oscar of design awards), an iF Design Award and a German Design Award. The first respectful rebellious promo is now a fact.
Prime Minister Rutte visits Boska
To commemorate the sale of ten million cheese slicers, the very first new, patented cheese slicer is presented to Rutte. After visiting the head office, he officially launches "Entrepreneur Week" together with Martijn.
The best employee ever is hired
Simone, also known as the "Best BOSKA Employee Ever" and "The Irreplaceable" is hired. This turns out to be one of the best decisions since 1896. It is suggested that a statue of her be erected at the head office, but this is not done for fear of theft. Perhaps in the future.
And, yes... Simone wrote this herself ;)
Design awards continue to roll in
Between 2017 and 2022, BOSKA wins several design awards, not only for its Cheesewares, but also for the new (spoiler alert!) "Pizzawares".
2018 - BOSKA goes Chocoloco
Martijn is passionate about product development and wants to devote greater effort to developing and marketing new products. As a result, the range is expanded to included "Chocowares", tools for chocolate.
Wait for it.... pizza!
The BOSKA range is once again expanded with tools for a real guilty pleasure: pizza. These "Pizzawares" are a real bright spot in a challenging year that, like everywhere in the world, is impacted by Covid-19.
A royal surprise
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima slice a cheese wheel in half with one of BOSKA's icons, the Dutch Cheese Knife, at the De Deelen cheese farm in Friesland. The new company name BOSKA Food Tools is now born.
2021 - BOSKA celebrates its 125th anniversary
The Bos family business has changed considerably from 1896, with sales in over 108 countries, four international offices, 55 employees and its own in-house design department and studio. More than 750 products for professionals, a genuine 1896 collection and over 250 consumer products. The crowning touch: the first television commercial!
Product range expands further
With the introduction of tools for meat & veggies, appropriately named "Meat & Veggiewares", BOSKA becomes a Food Tools brand.
2022 - BOSKA becomes a certified purveyor to the royal household
The designation of a purveyor to the royal household is an honorary title awarded by the king to small and medium-sized businesses that occupy a very important position in the region. A real crowning achievement!
Quality obsession earns BOSKA B Corp certification
BOSKA becomes an official B Corp organization: a company that takes responsibility for both the environment and its employees. Based on the vision of "Quality = Sustainability", products of exceptional quality with a timeless design are made to last a lifetime. Correspondingly, BOSKA consciously refrains from following trends, runs on green energy and takes care of its employees.
BOSKA's mission to change the industry
BOSKA has added a new goal. The company is making significant strides in improving its own product range, with the ultimate aim of providing a lifetime warranty on almost all Food Tools. One thing BOSKA wants to make clear: "We don’t make sh*tty Food Tools!" By creating products of such high quality that they last a lifetime, BOSKA aims to encourage other companies to do the same. This is to change the industry standard and to banish disposable products from the market once and for all.
To be continued...
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