Assuming the strength of each season, Rungis doesn’t divide the year into four, but into five seasons: winter, spring, early summer, summer and autumn. The catering wholesaler specialised in fruit and vegetables therefore didn’t celebrate its 30th anniversary in 120 seasons, but in 150 seasons. The team, the growers and suppliers of Rungis made sure guests didn’t want for anything at Landgoed Vollenhoven during the Rungis Food Fair on Monday 3 June.
Yoram, Francis, Gert Jan and Anne Fleur of Rungis toast 150 seasons.
Please click here for the photo report.
Innovation is Rungis’ strength, emphasised owners Gert Jan, Francis and Yoram Zonneveld Piek. “Annually, a large number of products is added to the assortment, but we’re also constantly improving regarding logistics, inspiration, speed and flexibility,” Gert Jan said. In recent years, Rungis invested considerably in its cutting kitchen. The shortage of workers means chefs are willing to outsource a number of processing steps. In four years, Rungis’ cutting kitchen has expanded twice already, and the third expansion to 600 square metres is scheduled to start soon.
The Rungis Food Fair was held at Landgoed Vollenhoven in De Bilt, the Netherlands.
During the Food Fair, guests could be introduced to the pre-processing techniques from the cutting kitchen, including vacuum-packed cooked products, fruit skewers and lettuce mixes. “We can deliver exactly to order,” says Robert Bovens, manager of the cutting kitchen. “Every chef has their own recipes and wants fresh products. We don’t have the word ‘can’t’ in our vocabulary here at Rungis, we work 24-7 to be able to deliver ‘just in time.’”
Please click here for the photo report of the growers and suppliers.
The Food Fair was a celebration of specialities. Chefs could meet 30 Rungis growers and producers, and get to know the story behind the products. From Dutch, artisanal chips to seaweeds and from specially improved white strawberries to white bell peppers, but also salty vegetables from Portugal, micro-leafs from Germany and the line of Rungis Japanese products.
Future chefs cooking without electricity.
Students of the Cas Spijkers Academie in Nijmegen cooked a graduation assignment during the Rungis Food Fair. Five teams of chefs in training were coupled to growers of Rungis. The assignment: develop and prepare one recipe featuring products from your growers. An additional ‘handicap’ for the students was the fact that it was an outdoor cooking assignment, using no kitchen or electricity. “Yet they managed to prepare recipes worthy of a Michelin star,” said Niels van den Berg, SHV Master Chef of Rungis.
Please click here for the photo report.
For more information:
Rungis
Niels van den Berg
SVH Meesterkok
Transportweg 34
2991 LV Barendrecht, the Netherlands
tel. +31 180 61 78 99
www.rungis.nl
niels@rungis.nl