About a year ago, Williane Sluiter of Incredible Roses started growing edible roses. “The fact that roses also taste good and contain vitamins is still new for many people,” she says. Her biggest buyer right now is catering.
The story of Incredible Roses brings us back to her parental home. “My father has grown conifers for more than 40 years now,” Willianne says. “I’ve been active in the company for two years now, and we started growing young plants for other growers as well. To that end, we’re now in contact with a rose seed agriculturalist, which is how I got the idea of starting to grow edible roses.”
This idea has now become reality. “We had a trial year in 2017. That year, we looked at, for example, which varieties were suitable and whether it’s possible to grow them organically, without the use of pesticides. Mid-2018, we started actually growing them. We grow, harvest and pack the roses ourselves. Besides, we also take care of sales. We’re now GlobalGAP certified for growing and selling edible roses.”
Sales
Catering is the most important sales market for Incredible Roses. “We sell a lot to catering and catering wholesalers, both in the Netherlands and in neighbouring countries. People can also order directly from our website.” Willianne mentions the product is still relatively unknown. “Demand is still in its infancy. People often choose it as decoration. A flower as seasoning is new for a lot of people. I noticed that during the Horecava last January.”
Flavour of the roses
The roses come in various colours and have characteristic flavours, smells and colours. “The flavours are quite different per variety. For instance, we have a yellow version that tastes of limes or lemon. A pink rose tastes of raspberry. We also have purple rose with a strong smell, and a spicy flavour.” Willianne uses the roses to make various products. “We sell the fresh flowers, first and foremost. Besides, we also sell dried rose petals, rose chutney, liquor and bonbons.”
Future
Willianne also has actual plans and various ideas for the future. “Next year we would like to participate in the Horecava again, to introduce people to the product. Besides, we’ll also be present at other fairs, such as Folie Culinair.”
Organic production
“We researched the possibilities of becoming Skal certified. I would very much like that, but it’s not yet an option in the short term, because a lot has to be renovated in that case. I now try to grow organically as much as possible, by working with natural crop protectors, for example. Growing roses for consumption is challenging, in any case, and it’s even more difficult when the production is completely organic. The Netherlands doesn’t have any completely organic potted rose growers either. I believe the sector still has room for growth in that,” Willianne concludes.