Emphasizing that they continue to be one of the closest solution partners of the food and beverage sector in our country, where they have been operating since 1990, Metro Türkiye CEO David Antunes“Our aim with the innovations we have undertaken in Bayrampaşa is to provide added value and better service to the development of gastronomy in a city like Istanbul, where the heart of the food and beverage industry beats, with our expanding and growing operational capability,” he said.

Operating in our country since 1990 with the vision of being the closest business partner of the food and beverage sector, Metro Turkey continued its warehouse area expansion works, which started in İzmir, Bodrum and Alanya in 2023 and continued in Ankara in 2024, with Bayrampaşa, which provides shipment to 11 districts in Istanbul. Within the scope of the renovation and expansion works carried out, the distribution volume of the Bayrampaşa warehouse area increased from 35 tons to 90 tons per day with an investment of 150 million TL, Metro Group CEO Steffen GreubelIt was put into service with a ceremony attended by . With this new step, Metro Türkiye has further increased its operational efficiency, product availability and service quality in Istanbul, which is the center of the food and beverage sector in our country.

In his speech at the opening, he reminded that as Metro, they support the food service industry in more than 30 countries with their products and services. Steffen Greubel, Metro Group CEO, “Metro Turkey operates as an important business partner of the country’s dynamic food services sector. Expanding our food shipment capacity in Istanbul is an important step in our strategy to offer our customers an omnichannel shopping experience. The opening of the warehouse in Istanbul will enable Metro Türkiye to further improve the service it offers to its customers and expand its customer base,” he said.

New Investment of 35 Million TL

Stating that they work to deliver the products and services their customers need in the best way possible, Metro Türkiye CEO David Antunes “We are the first international retailer to invest in Türkiye 35 years ago because Metro believed in the potential of this country, its rich cuisine and gastronomy culture. Our goal from the very beginning has been to be the number one solution partner of the food and beverage sector. In line with this goal, we continue to take steps that will bring us closer to our customers, enable us to meet their needs more efficiently and better, and strengthen our presence in Türkiye. We have recently tripled our warehouse capacity in Ankara. Now, we have tripled our frozen food storage area and doubled our delicatessen storage in our Bayrampaşa store, which is an important center for the European side of Istanbul. We have increased our daily food shipments from 90 tons to 150 tons and now reach 500 customer points. Our aim with the new investment of 35 million TL in our Bayrampaşa warehouse is to provide better service to the food and beverage sector in the region with our growing operational capacity and to accelerate its development.''

Shipment to 11 Districts

Metro Turkey, which has made its operations efficient by using its stores as both stores and storage and distribution areas, provides shipment services to 7.000 districts of Istanbul, including Bağcılar, Beyoğlu, Fatih, Şişli, Sultanahmet, Nişantaşı, Beşiktaş, Levent, Bakırköy, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler, from its Bayrampaşa warehouse, which serves with a volume of approximately 11 square meters. Metro Turkey, which has a food shipment operation area of ​​approximately 3.000 square meters of its warehouse area, has achieved an increase of approximately 70% as a result of the renovation works and has an operational capacity of 150 tons per day. In the consolidation area, where customer orders are prepared, the capacity was increased from 75 tons to 150 tons. Based on the needs of the food and beverage sector in the region it serves, it has achieved a 100% growth in its frozen product storage area, reaching a capacity of 116 pallets from 417 pallets. The delicatessen storage area has increased from 190 square meters to 349 square meters.

Source: HORECA TREND and Metro Türkiye

As one of the closest business partners of the food and beverage sector in our country, Metro Turkey continues its activities with the understanding of equality, diversity and inclusiveness, and carries out many studies to support women employees and ensure equal opportunities in both the retail sector and professional kitchens. Prioritizing cooperation with women chefs in the ecosystem it is in and implementing practices that contribute to their development. Metro Türkiye, organized a special iftar invitation to draw attention to the importance of equality in professional kitchens and to encourage young female chefs, who are the future of Turkish cuisine, in this regard. Chef Sinem Özler, who is a successful role model by entering the Michelin Guide with two restaurants of which she is a partner and the chef, prepared an iftar table together with young female chefs. Metro Turkey demonstrated the power of women in the kitchen and the difference they make when they unite.

Young female chefs who worked hard to prepare the menu as guests in Seraf's kitchen; Aslı Yüksel from Apartıman Yeniköy, Bahar Karadaş from Muutto, Elçin Erik from Neolokal, Hale Berra Tüysüz from Nicole, Gökçe Gündemir from Seraf's own kitchen and Buse Uca Aydın, winner of the Special Jury Award of the 35 Chefs Under 3 Competition, shared their experiences with the guests by telling them about the new techniques and recipes they learned.

“We Address Equality in a Way That Will Create an Impact on Our Entire Ecosystem”

At the iftar dinner held in Seraf Vadi Metro Türkiye CEO David Antunes said, “As Metro Turkey, we are carrying out many studies in order to develop the gastronomy sector and provide better service and solutions. While carrying out these, we act with awareness of our responsibilities. Equality of opportunity is one of them. We approach equality in a way that will create an impact not only within ourselves but also in our entire ecosystem. In this direction, we work with women entrepreneurs and women's cooperatives, and prioritize collaborations with our women chefs in the kitchen, who are among the most important players in our ecosystem. We wanted to see International Working Women's Day as an opportunity and draw attention to the importance of this equality again,” he said.

“We believe that together we can bring equality to our kitchen and to all areas of life”

Stating that Metro Türkiye is one of the leading companies in our country in terms of gender equality with approximately 1.400 female employees, Sevda Çetinkaya, Metro Türkiye Board Member and Human & Culture Director“One in every three of our colleagues is a woman and 3 percent of our Board of Directors members are women. We are appointing equal opportunities and developing supportive practices so that women can take a more active role in business life. One of the most important principles we have undertaken in this direction is our ‘Equality in Our Kitchen’ cultural change movement under our ‘Gender Equality’ initiative. Our main goal here is to provide equal opportunities in our work areas without gender discrimination. With our ‘There is no gender in work’ approach, we offer leadership programs that will develop women not only in the work area but also in managerial roles, and encourage them to take on higher positions. While doing these in our own work environment, we also adopt the principle of supporting women in the entire ecosystem we are in. We believe that we will change the male figure that comes to mind as a prototype when most people think of a chef, and that we can bring equality to both our kitchen and all areas of life together,” he said.

“The Whole World Needs the Unifying Power of Women”

Emphasizing that Turkish cuisine has been passed down from mothers to daughters for generations, and drawing attention to the importance of young female chefs embracing this ancient past, Sinem Özler, chef and partner of Seraf Restaurants “What we have learned from women who have kept local cuisine alive for centuries gives us both new tastes and ingredients waiting to be discovered. We want to contribute to the survival of culinary traditions that are on the verge of extinction and to carry them into the future by transferring this valuable knowledge and experience to new generations in a way that they can adopt. Traditional cooking principles and techniques enrich not only the flavor of a dish, but also its nutritional value and cultural meaning. We believe that these methods will support the continuity of a sustainable and healthy culinary culture, beyond keeping the past alive. We will continue to work to inspire our young female chefs and illuminate their paths from a perspective that they may have never considered before. The whole world needs the unifying power of women,” he said.

Source: HORECA TREND and Metro Türkiye

Sharing the journey of its products, which undergo regular analysis and inspections, until they reach the shelves, with full transparency thanks to the traceability system. Metro Turkey, finally Subway Chef has also begun offering traceability on branded processed meat.

Metro Türkiye, which meets all the needs of both professional chefs and those who have their own kitchens with its rich product range, continues its efforts to protect food safety by intensifying during Ramadan.

Stating that they have been serving in the food and beverage sector for 35 years and that they carry the products that their customers need to their shelves with a focus on quality and trust, Metro Türkiye Purchasing Director Hamit Baykal“The quality journey of the food and non-food products we bring together with consumers begins with supplier selection and monitoring of production from the very beginning. If we were to give an example from the meat and processed meat group, which are consumed the most during Ramadan, the first step of our inspections is taken at farms. Here, the compliance of the feed, water, environment used with human health and the law, traceability and compliance of hygienic conditions are checked. Afterwards, we proceed by covering all microbial, imitation-adulteration, chemical and physical parameters, especially pesticide and GMO analyses that vary according to the product group. We conduct our periodic analyses more frequently in risky products such as meat, fish, processed meat, delicatessen products and cheese.” he said.

“Traceability” Started for Metro Chef Branded Processed Meat Products

Drawing attention to the fact that traceability systems are of great importance in terms of protecting food safety and food quality, Baykal“We offer 3.500% traceability in over 100 products including fresh meat, fish, honey, fruit and vegetables, our own brand organic products, geographically indicated products and olive oil varieties. Finally, we are starting to offer traceability in Metro Chef branded processed meat products. Our customers can access information such as veterinary health report, production site, product ingredient list, allergen information if any, energy nutritional values, food safety inspection certificate, product analysis, etc. on the labels of processed meat products such as fillet steak, beef pastrami, and sausage, which are also consumed during Ramadan.” he said.

Every Batch of Food Packages is Analyzed

With only a few days left until the Ramadan tables will be blessed not only with the most delicious dishes but also with the power of sharing, Metro Turkey is analyzing each batch of its food packages consisting of 40 different products in accredited laboratories. Offering its customers three different food packages consisting of basic food products that will help set delicious tables for iftar and sahur at advantageous prices, Metro Turkey has also prepared a special option consisting of its own brand Aro products this year.

 Geographically Indicated Iftar Foods Add Value to Tables

Metro Turkey, which has adopted the mission of carrying Turkish cuisine and culture into the future, carries products with geographical indications from all around our country to its shelves with the belief that this can only be achieved by supporting local products. Offering more than 600 products with geographical indications depending on the season, from fruits and vegetables to breakfast foods, from legumes to desserts, Metro Turkey brings iftar foods such as İzmir Tulum Cheese, Ezine Cheese, Boğatepe Kars Gravyeri and Gemlik Olives to the tables under the Metro Chef brand. It also brings all kinds of flavors from Karacadağ Rice to Taşköprü Garlic, from Aydın Chestnut to Bayramiç Halva to Ramadan tables.

Source: HORECA TREND and Metro Türkiye