At first glance, one wouldn't think that the football World Cup would influence the fruit and veg or herb trade in any way. Yet companies, especially those that deliver to restaurants, do notice the difference. John van Laethem from Belgian company Van Laethem says that at the moment, sales are reasonably good. "The only thing bothering us at the moment is the World Cup craze, which translates to less visitors with the restaurateurs."
According to John, a lot of managers in the restaurant trade are coping with fewer guests. "And of course we also notice that in sales. Last week in particular, we felt the impact of that strongly. A lot of our buyers tell us that customers do come in, but they just eat one dish and then they're gone again. Most people want to watch the match at home, or on a big screen. The first part of the match is not that important, but nobody wants to miss the end. Some big screens, like at 't Zand in Bruges, attract 15,000 people. There, matches of the Belgian national team, as well as the final, are shown on a big screen. In addition, there are a lot more places where the World Cup is being watched by large groups. It's likely that many of those people would normally be sitting in restaurants."
Increasing consumption
The diverse product range of Van Laethem consists of culinary herbs, edible flowers, mini vegetables, sea vegetables and salads. "This season, we haven't expanded our product range very much, but we do look forward to a growing market. With our products, we now also try to reach the consumer directly." He does expect the restaurant sector to catch up within two weeks. "We had a difficult spring, but are doing a bit better now. All in all, consumption has increased slightly compared to last year."