On 27 December 2022, the Dutch publication “Zuidwest update” featured an article on the success of Roosendaal-based company OFYR. The article, titled “Roosendaal company sees global success with cookable fire bowl,” includes an interview with OFYR founder Hans Goossens.
After a long career in investment management and a short foray into luxury retail, Hans Goossens decided for a career switch. He had always wanted to create a tangible product, and his search for the perfect cookable fire bowl to spend evenings cooking with his family and friends inspired the design of OFYR.
Hans discusses the company’s merger with The Bastard. He also highlights the experience factor of OFYR’s cooking units, stating that “a traditional barbecue is often a solitary device. One person is cooking and the rest are having fun at the table. Our product is contagious. People stand around it. Everyone loves fire and that helps a lot!”
As OFYR’s cookable fire bowl continues to be a hit, it looks like the company has a bright future ahead. Hans Goossens hints at the possibility of adding new products to the line-up in the future, saying, “I started at a time when outdoor cooking was becoming increasingly popular. Then came corona. I was embarrassed to say it at times, but for our industry, that was a Valhalla. Everyone was doing home and garden and as a result, sales exploded. If we had had more products, we could have sold even more.”
OFYR’s cooking units (cookable fire bowl) have proven popular in both the private and professional sectors, with customers all over the world, ranging from restaurants to individuals with an OFYR in their backyard. Goossens says, “The United Kingdom is a country where we have done fairly little so far. We have had a distributor there, but we will start with our own salespeople there from 1 January.”
