The startup story of Nguyễn Đức Hiếu, a YUP student, and his dream of clean fish for Vietnamese people. Published in Tuổi Trẻ Online.
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“Hibernating Fish” Awakens the Dream of Clean Fish
TT – A group of students from the same coastal hometown in Bình Thuận chose fish as the basis of their startup. Producing the clean fish products they have today has required a journey of “blood, sweat, and tears.”
Customers receive information about the M4S team's “hibernating fish” at the store
”Storage and capital are truly difficult problems we are working to solve. We are entirely self-funded, so holding stock would make warehouse rental and inventory costs substantial relative to our capacity,” said founding member Trần Anh Pháp.
They came together for one reason: they could not ‘stomach’ the sea fish bought in the city because its quality was so different from the fish they ate back home.
Preserving Fresh Flavor
Anyone entering the M4S group's product showroom and store in Tân Bình District, Ho Chi Minh City, for the first time wonders about the words “hibernating fish.”
Nguyễn Đức Hiếu, one of the team’s founding members, said they came up with the name while looking for a direction for the group. Clean fish was a given, as that was their sole commitment to customers, but calling it only clean fish would not fully convey the team’s goal.
“‘Hibernating fish’ can be understood as fish temporarily resting in a freezer while retaining the same fresh flavor they had when first caught at sea, right up until they are prepared for the table,” Hiếu explained.
The First Boxes of Fish Shipped from Bình Thuận to Ho Chi Minh City During the Startup’s Early Days More Than a Year Ago Also Arrived in Bad Shape.
Although boxed and iced in the usual way, even the fish that had not spoiled failed to meet quality expectations upon reaching the city. They changed color, and their loss of freshness was obvious to the naked eye.
Providing the cleanest, freshest, tastiest fish without using any preservatives became the guiding principle.
For six months, the team searched for an answer, visiting major fishing ports in several provinces and asking contacts who might have information. The answer came from the fishermen who spend their days at sea.
“When fish are brought in from the sea, their contact with fresh water must be minimized because osmosis can cause them to lose their natural sweetness. Instead, the fish are thoroughly rinsed with a mixture of seawater and ice in a specific ratio,” Đức Hiếu explained.
And so “hibernating fish” was born. After preliminary processing—either leaving the fish whole or gutting it—and cleaning it with the seawater-and-ice mixture described above, the fish is frozen before being transported to Ho Chi Minh City. This ensures it retains its original flavor from the moment it was caught at sea, merely entering a temporary hibernation until it reaches each family's dining table.
A reward of 20 million đồng if preservatives are found
Open about their ambitions, team members explain that M4S is wordplay: M stands for I am, 4 for for, and S for S-shaped Vietnam, conveying their dream of clean fish for Vietnam. Committed to clean fish, the team offers a reward of 20 million VND to anyone who finds any preservative or prohibited substance in any of its products.
“At first glance, the precut cobia slices in the store put me somewhat at ease because the flesh was white rather than red or cloudy, showing that only fresh fish could have that color,” said customer Lê Thị Bích (Tân Bình District).
Meanwhile, Yên Thảo of Bình Thạnh District said her family often eats fish and is very selective when buying it fresh. Friends introduced her to the shop, and she found the young sellers' approach friendly. After choosing for a while, she bought several varieties for nearly 1 million đồng and said she would send some to her parents in Gia Lai to try.
The team’s strength—and challenge—is sourcing fish caught by line or net that same day. This ensures the promised freshness, but even a day of strong winds at sea, let alone the stormy season, makes supply uncertain.
Nguyễn Đức Hiếu’s father personally handles sourcing in Bình Thuận, with food-safety eligibility certified by the provincial Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Subdepartment. Even initial preparation and packing in Bình Thuận must follow proper procedures: each fish species requires its own preparation methods within a specific timeframe to preserve the full flavor of the sea, as the team intends.
For sales in Ho Chi Minh City, the group rented a better space for a clean-fish store on Tân Sơn Hòa Street beside Phạm Văn Hai Market in Tân Bình District. It is gradually becoming a familiar destination for customers and also offers free home delivery.
The Quiet Investor
An investor who requested anonymity initially contributed more than VND 600 million to support the team's activities without setting any requirements and plans to increase the investment soon. The investor's only condition is that the team boldly challenge themselves, so at least they gain entrepreneurial experience.
According to Tuổi Trẻ Online
Original article link: http://tuoitre.vn/tin/nhip-song-tre/20160301/ca-ngu-dong-danh-thuc-giac-mo-ca-sach/1059619.html
