NEAP: A fresh wave of Flavour
2026-04-20
When Abel stepped away from his fermented snack business, he did not expect to return to seaweed so quickly. Yet only months later, he found himself standing at the edge of a small seaweed farm in the Veerse Meer, facing a decision that would shape the future of Neap Seaweed.
The farm, originally started by Joost Adriaanse and two partners around five years ago, was modest in scale. A 300-meter line system, quietly producing seaweed in collaboration with a local mussel farmer. At one point, the idea was to stop altogether.
“That felt like a waste,” Abel recalls. “There is already so little production in the Netherlands. To lose another farm did not make sense.”
Instead of shutting it down, the two decided to rebuild it into something new. Not just a farm, but a brand that challenges how seaweed is perceived and consumed
Abel Jeuken and Joost Adriaanse.
From fermentation to flavour
Abel’s background plays a defining role in that vision. Before Neap Seaweed, he ran Funk Gilde, a company focused on fermented products such as kimchi, miso and soy-based flavourings. That experience now feeds directly into the development of Neap’s product range. Rather than treating seaweed as a niche ingredient, the company approaches it as a foundation for flavour.
“We are not only growing seaweed,” Abel explains. “We are also developing products. You can almost see us as a product development company, with seaweed as the base.”
That mindset has led to a remarkably diverse portfolio.
A product range that breaks expectations
Different beverages under the NEAP brand.
Neap Seaweed operates across both consumer and horeca markets, with products that deliberately move away from familiar formats.
On the consumer side, there are seaweed sodas and seltzers. Light, accessible drinks built around just a few ingredients, where seaweed provides a subtle backbone rather than an overpowering taste. Alongside these, the team is experimenting with more unconventional options, including seaweed infused spirits such as jenever, whisky and even a salmiak style liqueur.
For the horeca market, the focus shifts towards more complex and expressive products. Their Wild Wave line features larger bottles made with wild harvested seaweed collected from mussel lines, resulting in batches that vary in character and reflect their environment.
Perhaps the most notable product is their seaweed sauce, a fermented umami rich liquid developed over several years. Now entering the market, it has already found its way into kitchens such as De Kas and Rijks in Amsterdam, where chefs are exploring its depth and versatility.
The fermented Seaweed Sauce from NEAP
Scaling carefully, not quickly
Despite the ambition, Neap Seaweed remains a small operation. The current farm produces around 400 kilograms of fresh seaweed per season, translating to roughly 60 kilograms when dried. Growth is part of the plan, but not at any cost.
“We want to grow, but not faster than makes sense,” Abel says. “It is more important to build something that works than to scale too quickly.”
To meet future demand, the company is open to working with other regenerative seaweed farmers, creating a network rather than relying solely on their own production. At the same time, they are actively looking for opportunities to expand their own farm. Access to water remains a key limiting factor.
Changing perception is the real challenge
For Neap Seaweed, the biggest hurdle is not production. It is perception. Seaweed is still widely associated with sushi or simple snacks. According to Abel, that narrow framing limits its potential.
“A lot of products push seaweed into a certain direction,” he explains. “Chips, crackers, those kinds of things. We want to break away from that.”
Their approach is to introduce seaweed in formats that feel familiar yet unexpected. Drinks, sauces and flavour components that fit naturally into existing habits, while subtly shifting how people think about the ingredient.
Festivals play an important role in this strategy. By serving dumplings, drinks and other products directly to consumers, Neap Seaweed can test reactions, refine recipes and build a brand that feels accessible rather than niche.
Building a bigger ecosystem
Beyond their own business, the founders see a broader responsibility. Small scale seaweed farms, like theirs, are fragile. Without strong routes to market, many struggle to survive.
“There is a real urgency,” Abel says. “If we do not create demand and build connections, these kinds of farms will disappear.”
That is why collaboration sits at the core of Neap Seaweed’s approach. Whether it is product development, new sales channels or access to cultivation space, the team is open to working with others across the value chain.
“It is not about taking a bigger piece of the pie,” Abel adds. “It is about making the pie bigger together.”Bovenkant formulier
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