First, he only produced leeks, but producer Harry Verbeek wanted to serve niches. That is why he chose to start producing kale two years ago. “We started growing it just for fun. In Belgium, this product is not very well known and it is a real niche-product. Although, there is noticeable increase in demand since the kale-trend has come over from America. Now, we have a few hectares with kale and I expect that the demand will increase slowly over time. It is a product with lots of potential and it gets more and more attention from various trade journals and other media.”
Smoothies
During the Dutch winters, kale is a famous and widely consumed vegetable. On 24 October, it was even National Kale Day. “In Belgium, I do not really see that happening. Besides, it is consumed in a very different way. The people that I know and who buy kale mainly use it to make smoothies. Especially the smaller leafs at the top of the plant are popular. There might be some elderly people that make kale and potato mash, but the youth is generally prefers making smoothies.”
Harry supplies his products to the BelOrta Auction. He states that the Belgian retailers only have kale in the supermarkets after All Saints’ Day (1 November). He is interested in producing niche-products. “I am definitely not sorry for starting growing kale; it is a very good product to grow.”