The Belgian mushroom world has consolidated significantly in recent years. “From over 80 cultivators who were active ten years ago, only about 30 are left now. The majority of these are in western Flanders, and a few in Limburg. At first, all cultivators supplied to auctions, but at the end of the 1980s that became less profitable. Many then chose to sell their own products,” says Michel Lesage of Lesage Champignons. “We then also came into direct contact with the final customers, including retailers, wholesalers, importers and processors. Here in Belgium, we hardly have any distributor trade for mushrooms anymore. That is different in the Netherlands.”
Michel Lesage.
Third generation
Lesage indicates that there is, naturally, some mutual competition. “There is a certain market price, and you can either go over or under it depending on the quality you supply.” Lesage Champignons is one of the largest suppliers in Belgium. The third generation is active in the company under the direction of Michel Lesage nowadays. “My grandfather at first cultivated flax, but at the end of the 1960s he switched to the cultivation of mushrooms because of the flax crisis. My father started helping the company at an early age, and I have also been active for ten years already.”
Organic growth
Lesage indicates that they have realised more volume in recent years. “We currently produce 50 tonnes per week. We have grown organically. This is mainly because we have many customers with growth potential, so we can manage to increase volume each time our customers grow.” He emphasises that quality is most important. “We pick daily, seven days a week. Customers can order until noon, and the mushrooms are delivered on the same day. We think it is important to use only the best materials.” Knowledge is also very important for Lesage. “We know everything about the products, and we continue to learn new things. We provide our employees with thorough training, and they are closely supervised by us.” The company has about 60 employees. About half of the mushrooms are delivered in Belgium, and the other half is meant for export. “We supply to the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. The largest grower is France. Our largest competitor is Poland, which offers cheaper product. Yet we notice that local mushrooms are preferred more and more in Belgium.”
White mushrooms
Lesage mainly produces white mushrooms. “We pick three times per day, and harvest on customer’s demand. We get chestnut mushrooms from other parties. Many people think a white mushroom is the same everywhere, but they are not. There is only a limited number of strains that can be chosen from, but the manner of production and in what climate they are grown can make a world of difference for cultivators. Besides, a sensitive product has to be dealt with sensitively. Our employees weigh the mushrooms immediately when picked. They are then placed in the correct packaging right away, so the product is only touched once. We do not use pesticides during the cultivation. Everything is 100 per cent natural, except, of course, for the straw in the manure.”
Sliced mushrooms
The mushrooms are supplied whole or sliced in various packagings. “More than 50 per cent is still supplied in the original blue punnet, but we have noticed an increase in new packagings. We, for example, have about 30 packagings in total. So there are many alternatives. I expect this will only increase in future. The blue punnet is becoming less popular. The colour is just not natural. We also offer, amongst other things, a brown dish, and this colour matches the mushrooms much better. When we started offering sliced products, we expected there would be a decrease in ‘regular’ product, but, surprisingly, this was not the case. Sliced mushrooms just have a completely new target audience that prefers convenience.”
Future
Lesage expects the consolidation will continue in the Belgian mushroom world. “Within ten years there will be only ten mushroom companies left in Belgium, I think. In spite of that, volume will probably not decrease.” According to Lesage, more new products will enter the market in future. “That is not yet happening enough now. The mushroom sector was quiet for a long time, but is now slowly starting to move again. In cooperation, we introduced a barbecue concept this summer. That was very well-received by consumers. There is definitely potential for beautiful packagings and concepts. We have to surprise our buyers with something special more often.” He also expects more attention will be given to ecological packagings. “We have to take our responsibility for the environment, and limit our ecological footprint. Additionally, we have to communicate more about how delicious and healthy the mushrooms are, and that they can be eaten with everything!” For more information:
Michel Lesage
Lesage Champignons nv
Kervijnstraat 79
8531 Bavikhove
Belgium
T: +32 (0) 56 71 22 88
F: +32 (0) 56 71 29 53
info@lesagechampignons.be
www.lesagechampignons.be