“We expect to pick the biggest Belgian cherries ever this year”

“The first Belgian cherries will once again arrive in four weeks,” says Karel Vaes of Hellingenfort. “Due to the favourable weather, it appears as if we’ll be picking the biggest cherries ever. The cherries are very large and have a good dark colour, expectations are good.” Hellingenfort grows only the best cherry varieties manually. The company tries to give the cherries the right focus in the ecological and social spheres.

This year, Hellingenfort introduces a new packaging for the cherries. “I always thought chocolates and perfume were packed rather nicely, but cherries are always packed in generic plastic. That’s why we had a new packaging developed, which reflects the value of our cherries. I nice cardboard box with information about the local and specific production method, while at the same time having an ecological aspect. Shops can even have the new box adjusted to their wishes,” Vaes says. The grower wants to make flavour the most important aspect of the top segment of Belgian cherries again.

Hellingenfort’s cherries are mostly meant for small retail and wholesalers. “We only work with good customers who have an eye for the product. We think it’s important to have personal relationships with our customers. To us, it’s important to supply quality, we have confidence in our sorting, and that’s why we are willing to give a 100% quality guarantee. The Belgian cherry season starts earlier than in the Netherlands. It looks as if it’s going to be a very good season,” Vaes concludes.