"Our customers ask for a lot of specialties. Purple and orange cauliflower are very popular among customers," says Valérie Braems of export company Pacbelimex. "The demand for mini vegetables, forgotten vegetables, tomatoes and strawberries continues to rise. What used to be very popular but was somewhat lacking this year is courgettes. This year the sale of courgettes didn't get going as well. We see the demand starting to rise only now, while it used to be much earlier."
Coloured cauliflower, romanesco and fennel
Pacbelimex is specialised in offering a large assortment of products. The exporter mainly supplies to the countries France, Spain, Czechia and Poland. Hotels and food service in particular. "Over the coming years we will be extending our focus to Scandinavia and the Middle East, for example Dubai. The Middle East is quite a different market but with a lot of potential. They demand very specific products. A product has to be good to look at as well as good to eat," according to Valérie.
Valérie Braems
The export company offers 99% Belgian products. "Our assortment and our service is our biggest strength. The product range continually expands. Our own brands are Delicious for soft fruit and Pacbel for vegetables," says Braems. The other products are almost all available under the Flandria label or under Tomabel. Pacbelimex also offers mixed pallets. The pallets are put together especially for the customer.
A snapshot from the wide tomato range
"We will also be bothered by the drought. The supply of fruit and vegetables will decrease and the prices will rise. We expect customers to understand as it has been very dry throughout Europe," according to Braems. A lot of Pacbelimex customers don't even ask about the price of the products. The customer wants a good quality product. "It will be challenge once again for us to get good quality products to the customer despite the dryness."
Pacbelimex will be present at the WOP in Dubai (Hall 1 D45) and at the Fruit Attraction in Madrid (Hall 10 10F06).
The put together pallets
The Tomabel and Pacbel packaging, pickles and mini rhubarb
For more information:
Valérie Braems
Pacbelimex
Diksmuidsesteenweg 335
BE-8800
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