What are your opening times?
Die Spens is open:
Monday through Thursday 10:00 to 17:30
Friday 10:00 to 20:00
Saturday 10:00 to 17:00
Where is the shop located?
You can find us at the following address:
Ariane 38
3824MB Amersfoort
The Netherlands
(Just 2 streets further than our previous location.)
Is there parking close to the shop?
Yes, there is plenty of parking in our street. We in fact have four lovely parking spots right in front of our doors, so please don't be shy.
Are you able to set up a stall at our event?
Sorry, we do not have the resources (manpower, products, time, etc.) to do this.
Most of the events are over a weekend when the shop is at its busiest. We are also unable to give out products on consignment for this purpose.
Do you have a budget to donate to charities?
Yes, we do have a small budget, but as we get requests on almost a weekly basis,
and as we find it impossible to decide whom we should help and whom not, we are
rather donating to our own selection of charities in South Africa.
Picking, packing & postage costs how much?
The picking, packing & postage cost is depended on the delivery country and the weight of the parcel.
You can work out the exact cost using our 'Price Calculator' found in the shopping basket.
Below you can see an indication of the minimum postage costs for each country.
(All costs are based on parcels up to 15kg except where indicated differently. All orders are posted using the Dutch postal service, PostNL, except where indicated differently. )
The Netherlands € 7.50 (up to 20kg)
Austria € 13.75 (DHL)
Belgium € 8.00
Bulgaria € 19.70 (DHL)
Croatia €16.80 (DHL)
Czech Republic € 15.50 (DHL)
Denmark € 13.75
Estonia € 25.00
Finland € 17.50
France € 13.25
Germany € 8.60 (DHL)
Greece € 21.00 (DHL)
Hungary € 16.00 (DHL)
Ireland € 18.10 (DHL)
Italy € 14.50
Lithuania € 25.00
Luxembourg € 10.00
Malta € 25.00
Poland € 13.90 (DHL)
Portugal € 18.70 (DHL)
Romania € 16.00 (DHL)
Slovakia € 16.00 (DHL)
Spain € 17.50 (DHL)
Sweden € 17.50
Norway, Switzerland & Faroe Islands - as these countries fall outside the EU, postage starts off at a set rate and increases with each 2kg's added. The starting rate is: €24.75 up to 2kg. (Please note: Customs duties/import duties will apply!)
(Please note we cannot post any meat products eg. Biltong, Chilli Bites etc to Switzerland.)
Can I order products to be collected in the shop?
Yes, you can order products for collection using the web shop.
Simply select the products you want and in the shopping basket choose - postage method: Collection - Location: Amersfoort'.
Once you have placed your order you can then pay for your order using either IDEAL, bank transfer, Credit Card or in the shop upon pick-up.
We ask that orders are placed 24 hours in advance.
How do I pay for my order? (The Netherlands & Belgium)
You have 4 choices:
1. Bank transfer in advance - an order confirmation will be sent to your e-mail after ordering which will include our bank details. You can then do a (online) bank transfer of the amount owed to us. Once the payment is received we will post your parcel.
2. The Netherlands: iDEAL - a method of payment that enables you to pay online through your own bank using online banking. Please do note that we charge a small fee of 30c for this method. As the order is already paid we will post your parcel asap.
Belgium: Bancontact - a method of payment that enables you to pay online through your own bank using online banking. Please do note that we charge a small fee of 40c for this method. As the order is already paid we will post your parcel asap.
3. Credit Card - We accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro. All Credit Card fees are 1.75% of your order total.
4. PayPal on request. Please see the separate heading about paying with PayPal.
How do I pay for my online order? (All other countries)
You have 3 choices:
1. Bank transfer in advance - an order confirmation will be sent to your e-mail after ordering which will include our bank details. You can then do a (online) bank transfer of the amount owed to us. Once the payment is received we will post your parcel. (If paying from a non-Euro bank account, make sure to select the option of 'paying all costs'. Shared bank costs will not be accepted.)
3. Credit Card - We accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro. All Credit Card fees are 1.75% of your order total.
4. PayPal on request. Please see the separate heading about paying with PayPal.
Can I pay with PayPal?
We do offer PayPal on request. PayPal charges us a small fee to receive money which we pass on to our customers. For payments in Euro the fee is 3.5% plus 50ct. For payments in most other currencies the fee is 5.5% plus 50ct.
To pay using this method please order as follow:
- Choose 'Payment in advance' as your payment menthod
- In the comment section write: PayPal please - paying with ... (Fill in currency)
You will automatically receive a confirmation with our regular bank details. Ignore this email.
We will first check that we have all of the products in stock which you ordered. Once confirmed we will send a PayPal payment request for the amount of the total order plus the relevant fees. Please note that there could be a couple of days between placing the order and receiving the PayPal payment request.
Do not make a payment without a PayPal payment request.
For more info please contact us.
How long does it take to get my order?
After placing your order you will automatically receive a confirmation e-mail. (Always check your junk/spam folder if you did not receive anything.)
We aim to respond to all orders within 3 business days and to post all orders within 5 business days with the exception of orders on backorder of which you will be informed*.
You will receive a track & trace code once your order has been posted.
Postage within the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany normally take about 1 to 2 working days. Other EU countries can take up to 7 business days. (Please note that busier periods, lockdowns etc can affect these delivery times.)
*Above mentioned times may vary or be effected by busier periods. Busier periods are expected during Christmas and other public holidays, after receiving container(s) from South Africa as well as any period after the shop has been closed for longer than normal.
Can all products be posted?
Products that cannot be posted are indicated on the website either as 'Store Exclusive'/'Cannot be posted'/'For Collection only'.
The items we cannot post are items such as frozen goods eg. Koeksisters & Boerewors.
Due to strict EU laws in regards to the sale of alcohol we no longer post any alcohol. Beer, cider, mixers and wine is now only available in the store.
Please note that we are not allowed to post any meat products eg. Biltong, Droëwors and Chilli Bites to Switzerland.
Can I order from South Africa?
Want to send a loved one or family member a gift here in Europe? We can certainly help.
Please note however that our webshop is set up to only accept orders within the EU and therefor it will not recognise a South African address. To get around this simply fill in the recipients home address, your own phone number and e-mail address.
The web shop does not work, how can I order?
So sorry to hear that the website is not working.
Please let us know by email what the problem is so that we can fix it.
You can also send us your order via e-mail either by typing it out or sending us a screenshot of your order. Please include your name, address and telephone number in the e-mail.
Why do you only post vacuumed Biltong at the moment?
Due to Covid-19 all the postal companies are super busy. This unfortunately means that there are a lot of delays with the postal service. For this reason we cannot guarantee that Biltong in paper bag - which has a limited shelf life, will get to our customers in time. Once the postal service goes back to it's normal self, we will start posting Biltong in paper bag again.
How long can I keep my Biltong?
This really depends on how well you store your Biltong as it is a perishable product which requires proper handling and storage to prevent it from going off or forming mould. Keep in mind that Biltong is a meat product that has been 'dry preserved', but it is still a meat and should be treated as such. Here are some basic storage tips: - Keep in a dry, cool area. (Refrigeration is a good alternative.) - Keep out of direct sunlight and heat. - Keep in a paper bag or container. Do not use a plastic bag. - Keep the bag/container closed. - Wetter biltong should be shuffled a few times a day to let moisture escape. - Whole pieces of biltong should be kept in a brown bag or hung in well ventilated room. Consume within: - Freshly sliced Biltong in Paperbag should be consumed immediately or if kept in the correct cool, dry conditions within 2 days. - Whole pieces of Biltong in Paperbag can be kept no longer than 3 days in the fridge as this can start to grow mould (like cheese) if too wet or conditions in the fridge are not correct. - Vacuum packed Biltong can stay fresh for at least 3 months, as long as the packaging is intact and it was stored at a normal temperature. Once opened remove the Biltong from the plastic packaging. Consume immediately or store in paperbag. Do not keep it in the plastic packaging. Remember the warmer the storage temperature the shorter the shelf life. High humidity (which is common in The Netherlands) can also increase the risk of spoilage/mould.
I won't be able to finish all of my Biltong within the next couple of days. What now?!
If you find yourself with 'leftover' Biltong that you would love to enjoy at a later date you have 2 choices. 1. Vacuum pack the biltong 2. Freeze the biltong. This way you can keep the biltong for another few weeks or even months. Helpful tips to prevent this situation: - Not sure if you will be able to eat all the Biltong within 2 days? No problem. Order the same amount of Biltong, but simply select smaller packaging sizes. Eg. Instead of 1kg Biltong in Paper bag - order 200g Paper bag and 4x 200g Vacuum. This way you can easily open and eat the right amount of Biltong without having the rest spoil. We do our Biltong in 100, 200 and 500 gram sizes.
Biltong lasts a long time in South Africa. Why is this different here?
The humidity in the Netherlands and most of Europe is ALOT higher than what we are used to in South Africa. The more humid the more chance you have of the biltong going mouldy.
Can you import a specific item for me?
We are always open to new product ideas and suggestions, however there are a lot of rules, regulations and hoops to jump through to be able to import a product. We will of course try where possible.
PLEASE NOTE:
EU regulations does not allow the import of products containing dairy, eggs or meat from South Africa.
Do you sell Klipdrift?
No, we do not have a liquor license and may not sell "hard" liquor. We are only allowed to sell beer, wine and mixes. We do sell Klippies & Coke pre-mix bottles. (Only available in the shop.)
Do you sell Fishpaste/ NikNaks/ SteriStumpi (to name a few)?
It is not allowed to import and sell products containing ingredients of animal origin into the EU from South Africa.
Milk is the "big problem", not only are all SA chocolates off limits, but for example NikNaks has cheese powder containing milk.
Where possible we try and provide alternatives, our chocolates are sourced from the UK and even Australia.
Some factories such as The Ouma factory is kind enough to make special batches using approved milk from the EU to be exported again.
Do you sell Grandpa powder or other medicines?
Unfortunately EU regulations do not allow this.
What type of meat is your Biltong/Chilli Bites made from?
As it is very difficult to import exotic meats, our butchers use beef from the EU together with South African spices to make our tasty Biltong and Chilli Bites.
Can you let me know when a product is back in stock?
When you view a product on our website which is out of stock. You will find a 'Notify me!'- button. This button will allow you to enter your e-mail address and you will automatically receive an e-mail once this product is back in stock.
Do you offer wholesale prices?
For all wholesale enquiries please contact us with your name and business details at warehouse@diespens.nl
