Login as an entrepreneur

In many Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, Cyprus, and the Balkans, lokum is a well-known delicacy. Nuran Celik, who grew up in a Turkish family in the Netherlands, always saw it around him. "As a dessert, a snack, or at celebrations. It's truly part of our culture."

In the Netherlands, it's known as Turkish Delight, but according to Celik, that image is inaccurate. "Good lokum is made with natural products like nuts, fruit, honey, and chocolate. It doesn't have to be incredibly sweet, and it often looks beautiful."

Celik's family comes from Siirt, known for producing the best pistachios in Turkey. While vacationing there, she came up with the idea to introduce the world to high-quality delicacies. "I wanted to bring together the two cultures I grew up with by creating my own delicatessen brand: LaCoum."

While on vacation, Celik discovered a family business in Istanbul that produces handmade lokum. Together, they developed versions to market in the Netherlands. "If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to be sure I had a good product before we launched." After extensive testing, she launched LaCoum in 2019. The company now supplies to 17 European countries and employs nine people. "We've built a solid foundation."

Celik mentions the prejudices she sometimes encounters as a young female Turkish entrepreneur. "At a trade show, I saw people react defensively, but later secretly try some. Now, one of them is still a customer. Fear of the unknown has sometimes held us back."

In three years, Nuran Celik has established a thriving business in the Netherlands selling her family's delicacies from Turkey. This speaks volumes about Nuran's strong entrepreneurial spirit. It also speaks volumes about the incredibly high quality of the product: it's exceptionally delicious.