'I advise everyone to stay curious'

Justin Buscher is a Food Commerce & Technology student at Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam and is now graduating with his own company WheyFreeze. With which he markets a delicious and responsible protein-rich water ice cream.

Getting straight to work
“I am an enthusiastic entrepreneur with a focus on nutrition. If there are healthier food choices out there, that has my attention. That's why I'm so driven to create this for consumers. But healthier choices, while maintaining taste.”

"I'm very goal-oriented. Doing something that doesn't benefit you in the end is not for me. I prefer to get straight to work to get as many results as possible in a short period. This may sound a bit impatient, but I'm not. I am a go-getter. I like to work together but I usually suggest a solution or course of action."

Healthier flavorful food choices
“WheyFreeze originated from a project during my education. In which we were allowed to develop a nutritional product in a project group. Among other things, we talked to people who exercise a lot and go to festivals. I got so excited about this that I decided to develop this company further and now graduate from it. We make protein-rich water ice with WheyFreeze. A healthier choice or alternative to, for example, the well-known rocket or pear ice cream. Protein is a very important building block for our body. For muscle recovery or growth. We often link it to fanatic athletes, but it is also essential for recovering after surgery or for elderly people with malnutrition. With our product, we combine enjoyment and proper nutrients. I think that's a win-win."

Alternative to protein intake
“Ever since I was young, I have been interested in diet, cooking, and a healthy lifestyle. I am vegetarian and exercise a lot. That makes me feel good. You can find me in the gym, on the padel court and running in the park. At a young age, I got into sports nutrition. Many products contain protein, but I didn't really like it. Think of those thick shakes or cottage cheese. I try to look at alternative ways to get protein without realizing it and still enjoy it. On average, healthy people need 0.83 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That works out to about 58 grams of protein for someone weighing 70 kilograms. But as soon as you do strength or endurance sports, this increases to 1.2-2 grams per kilogram of body weight. So then it becomes interesting to look at other ways to consume protein.”

Enjoying our ice cream at a festival
“Right now, external partners have joined WheyFreeze to speed up the production process and move to initial production. Soon we will run a first trial batch. That's incredibly cool! We are still optimizing the product development. Of course, it really has to do what we promise. I find that an important value is being reliable. We are open and honest about what it contains, what it does, and why it is there. For the average consumer, reading an ingredient declaration is complicated. I want to avoid that.”

"My dream? To be at a festival myself and see other people enjoying it. That's why I like to get in touch with festivals or catering companies that want to run a pilot with me."

Even if you have doubts, just do it!
"Through my teacher Annemiek Hollander, I was tipped off to Start Up Campus Haarlem. I was working at an Open Day for Inholland and told her I wanted to continue with the project. It was perfect timing. SUCH helps tremendously in expanding your network. Not only the fellow students but also the trainers are helpful. Even outside the programme. During my education, the focus was on nutrition, but now I'm learning entrepreneurship from a completely different perspective. That is very valuable. If you are considering entrepreneurship, I would say 'Just do it'. Even if you have doubts. Just like helping out at an Open Day at your college, just do it. You will meet new people and have different conversations. Because I did, I am now participating in SUCH and have already learned so many new things. I recommend everyone to stay curious and grow their network."