Omer-Decugis & Cie, an international group specializing in fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables, and PrepWorld, the UK's leading minimally processed fruit company and a division of BerryWorld Ltd., part of the AgroBerries group, today announced the creation of a strategic joint venture: PrepWorld France.

Located at Omer-Decugis & Cie's future logistics platform in the Port of Dunkirk, this new company will focus on accelerating the development of the fresh-cut fruit market in France, with the broader ambition of serving major European markets.

The French minimally processed fruit market, estimated at around €200 million, has shown consistent year-on-year growth. With a population of over 68 million, an annual per capita consumption of 124 kg of whole fruit (351 g per person per day), and a growing demand for convenience, minimally processed fruit in France is a category full of opportunities.

“In recent years, we have seen the fresh-cut fruit category gain significant momentum in European markets, becoming a key driver of consumption for products such as pineapples, mangoes, berries, and others. Fresh-cut fruit responds to major consumer trends: healthy eating, vegetarian and vegan diets, and the desire for convenience, making it one of the most promising segments in fresh produce today, both in retail and the HORECA channel,” says Vincent Omer-Decugis, CEO of Omer-Decugis & Cie.

As the UK market leader in category knowledge and new product development, the PrepWorld team is eager to bring its expertise and knowledge to the French and European markets. “PrepWorld is very excited about this new partnership with Omer-Decugis & Cie. Our team had long identified the opportunity in France and Europe to offer high-quality fresh-cut fruit, driven by our category knowledge and innovations,” shares Benjamin Olins, CEO of PrepWorld.

Omer-Decugis & Cie and PrepWorld will collaborate through a co-financed joint venture, with equal ownership. It will operate as a fully integrated team, allowing both partners to leverage their complementary expertise to establish a leader in the fresh-cut fruit market.

“Entering this market is a natural step for our group, fully aligned with our long-term vision of integrated operations, from production to distribution. We firmly believe that this joint venture, which brings together the complementary expertise of BerryWorld, PrepWorld, and Omer-Decugis & Cie, will play a key role in developing the category's potential in France,” explains Vincent Omer-Decugis, CEO of Omer-Decugis & Cie.

“At Omer-Decugis & Cie, we have found a complementary partner; their vertical integration in exotic products and their deep understanding of the French and European market landscape go hand in hand with PrepWorld’s expertise in sourcing, production excellence, and quality,” emphasizes Benjamin Olins, CEO of PrepWorld.

The location of PrepWorld France has been carefully considered. Its position in the Port of Dunkirk, within Omer-Decugis & Cie’s new integrated fresh produce platform, will provide a sustainable and efficient supply chain for receiving, ripening, and processing, as well as offering easy access to France, the United Kingdom, and continental Europe.

“Designed to be the most innovative, customer-focused, and product-centric fresh-cut fruit facility in the country, PrepWorld France will be located within our state-of-the-art logistics and ripening platform in Dunkirk and will be the cornerstone of our commitment to integrated, low-emission logistics,” explains Vincent Omer-Decugis, CEO of Omer-Decugis & Cie.

“The creation of PrepWorld France represents the next logical step in the evolution of our fresh-cut fruit offering, and the new facility in Dunkirk perfectly complements our hub in Northfleet, UK. The strategic location of our facility next to Omer-Decugis & Cie’s ripening and logistics platform will ensure that we deliver the freshest, highest-quality product to the market in the most efficient way,” says Benjamin Olins, CEO of PrepWorld.

PrepWorld, founded in 2012, is the UK market leader in fresh-cut fruit. The company is a division of BerryWorld Ltd, part of the AgroBerries Group. With expertise in the full range of fresh-cut fruit—from berries to exotic fruits, citrus, grapes, stone fruit, and pome fruit—PrepWorld supplies major UK supermarkets and independent retailers nationwide.

Its state-of-the-art packing facility, spanning 13,000 m², is currently the largest of its kind in Europe, dedicated to the preparation and distribution of fresh-cut fruit. PrepWorld is renowned for its consumer-driven innovation, having been the first to prepare pomegranate arils upon their arrival in the UK, creating an award-winning range of value-added branded products, and regularly introducing new seasonal private-label lines that drive growth for its retail partners.

The company was recognized by the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards for its commitment to quality standards and customer satisfaction (2017) and by the Quality Food Awards for the taste of its products (2020).

Committed to its people, sustainability, and its community, the company was recognized for its philanthropic initiatives during the Covid pandemic by Fresh Produce Journal (2020) and by the Fresh Produce Consortium in 2022 as HR Initiative of the Year.

Headquartered in Northfleet, Kent, PrepWorld achieved over €157 million in annual sales through September 30, 2025, and produced over 98 million packs.

AgroBerries is the world's second-largest player in the berry sector; a vertically integrated platform operating year-round, supplying blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries to the market 365 days a year. With a globally award-winning genetic portfolio, its own production facilities, and a network of trusted growers, AgroBerries guarantees excellence in every fruit. Founded in Chile in 1996, the Group has grown from a pioneer in South American blueberry exports to a global family of companies following the acquisition of BerryWorld Group in 2024. The Group's business entities include Berry Fresh, BerryWorld, PrepWorld, and Poupart1895, encompassing the production and marketing of fresh berries, as well as minimally processed fruit and other horticultural products. Today, the Group has a presence on five continents, uniting producing regions, strategic alliances, and consumer brands, all rooted in the berry category.