"We have had Spanish strawberries in our assortment for four weeks now, so the start was a bit later than usual," says Denis Piper, Sales Manager at Melzig GmbH in Aschaffenburg. "The focus was on other items in the weeks just before this. We only had low volumes from Egypt and it was a bit difficult to get started on the strawberries as demand was low." At the moment, thanks to the good weather the fruits are very popular.
In the meantime, the company also had greenhouse products from the Netherlands on offer, but these were less popular due to their packaging. "We packed the strawberries in German cardboard trays, which are more popular with our customers than plastic packaging."
The standard packaging for the food retailer continues to be plastic trays. These are still cheaper than the cardboard alternative, produced in Germany and then sent to Spain for filling. "The cardboard punnets are a unique selling point for us."
"The quality of the Spanish product is very good - the strawberries are tasting better every year, the varieties are very firm but also very durable, which is a must for our retail customers," he explains.
Asparagus prices unusually low
Asparagus - the favorite vegetable of the season - is already available on a large scale at the Frischezentrum. In the catering industry in particular, the noble vegetables are already booming, replacing winter vegetables on the menus. Prices are currently below average. "The sudden heat resulted in a lot of goods at one time and so the asparagus started the season with unusually low prices."
Green asparagus so far are only available in small quantities from German soil, making them still relatively expensive. These varieties are also expected to see a price drop in the coming weeks.
Frischezentrum Aschaffenburg supplies food retailers, gastronomers and the hotel industry in the region. In the strawberry season, demand from bakeries is particularly strong. "As soon as it gets warm, people want strawberries."
For more information:
Denis Piper
Sales Manager
Frischezentrum Aschaffenburg Melzig GmbH
Magnolienweg 46
63741 Aschaffenburg
Mobile 0159 / 04600878
Tel 06021 / 15087-52
www.melzig-gmbh.de