WBJ: Why did you choose to launch Baziółka? What made you think of growing herbs as a promising market?

Wojciech Kozłowski: It wasn’t me who chose herbs; they chose me. Introducing fresh potted herbs in Poland at the end of the 1990s was a revolution on an epochal scale. Nobody knew them, nobody knew how to use them, yet everyone wanted them because they were beautiful and smelled wonderful.

Intuition, a product that no one else was making, inspiration from Scandinavia, and encouragement from friends pushed me to enter this business. Fresh potted herbs, which in Poland had previously been available mainly in dried form, awakened in people a need for taste and aroma that only a few had experienced while traveling abroad.

At that time in Poland, apart from tomatoes, chives, and potatoes, there was nothing particularly interesting in the vegetable category, so the chances of success were high. I remember taking the first delivery to one of the few retail chains in Poland and presenting ready-to-sell basil, chives, and parsley to the buyer. He looked at them, turned the pot around in his hands, scratched his head, and said: “I’ll gladly buy it, but please cut it and deliver the herbs in bunches!”

I must admit that I was completely taken aback for a moment. But we didn’t give up. Today, herbs are everywhere in pots, which guarantee freshness and aroma.

Every business succeeds when you come up with a good idea.

Is it a growing market in Poland? Where do you see it headed? What about other European markets?

After nearly 30 years, the fresh herb market is still promising. There are many producers now and competition has become tight, but who today can imagine not buying fresh basil regularly?

Compared to other European countries, we are leaders in the quality and taste of herbs we offer, as well as in the standards we meet, with IFS certification at the forefront and organic production.

I believe that in herb cultivation, distribution, and retail presentation, we are the best in the world.

Tell us about your company now: How many greenhouses do you have? Which markets do you operate in? Who do you supply?

Baziółka has existed as a herb producer since 1996. Currently, we grow fresh herbs on 2.8 hectares of greenhouse area.

We sell all of our herbs across Poland, supplying top-quality products to major retail chains such as MAKRO, SELGROS, AUCHAN, LIDL, KAUFLAND, CARREFOUR, and many others.

What are your current investment plans in Poland?

Maintaining the highest production and quality standards requires continuous investment in modern machinery and robotics.

We operate the most modern ISO transplanting robot for seedlings and a state-of-the-art herb packaging machine. We are planning further automation and expansion of our production capacity to improve quality even further, introduce new assortment lines, and launch new product innovations (which I prefer not to disclose yet) that will certainly appeal to our customers.

You chose to expand your business to Czechia, the UK, Sweden, and Portugal. Why these markets? How do you evaluate international markets before entering them?

Sweden began its journey with fresh herbs much earlier than we did, in the mid-1980s, and herbs are now embedded in the genetic code of Scandinavians.

In the UK, we started similarly to Poland, partly based on intuition and partly on the potential that the country offered and continues to offer.

Czechia is a completely different story. Around 2010, we began selling our products on the Czech market, and within two years, fresh herb consumption there increased tenfold. The natural next step was to build a greenhouse and produce locally.

In Czechia, a very modern 2.2-hectare greenhouse was built, powered by biogas and producing 100% fresh herbs for the Czech market.

How do you expand internationally? Do you find local partners or build greenfield investments?

Currently, we do not sell our Polish-grown herbs outside Poland, but we have such plans, mainly in the Baltic countries and in markets where herbs are still considered a luxury product.

What are your next targets and long-term plans?

In the near future, we want to refine our production methods so that herbs become accessible to everyone, both those who are affluent and those who are just building their purchasing power.

We also want to introduce new herbs that will once again create a revolution, just like fresh potted herbs did 30 years ago. 

I believe that in herb cultivation, distribution, and retail presentation, we are the best in the world.

For more information: baziolka.pl