Leeks and fennel are two products in which the Flemish company, Fresh2B, specializes. These vegetables eventually find their way to one of the largest Belgian retailer's shelves. The COVID-19 pandemic reached Belgium in March last year. Then, demand for leeks shot up but has now normalized. Fennel demand remained much more stable.
"We founded Fresh2B in 2013. We work closely with the Groentenhof cultivation company. My parents run that," begins Gilke Croket of Fresh2B. "We're a true family business. My parents have a total of 85 hectares of outdoor crops. They grow leeks and fennel; some organically. We then sell those to one of the largest supermarket chains in Belgium. My parents' company has been supplying this retailer since 1998. They used to sell these products to the supermarket chain via a growers association. But Fresh2B's been taking care of that since 2013."
Fresh2B supplies Belgian leeks from August to May. The fennel season runs from June to November. "If we have no Belgian fennel available, we import from Italy. We haven't always supplied leeks and fennel. Groentenhof started off growing leeks and cauliflower in 1986. Later, they switched the cauliflower for fennel. We now have 65 hectares of leeks and 20 hectares of fennel."
"Leek is a very well-known product here in Belgium. It's one of the most popular vegetables. Fennel, on the other hand, is less well-known. Many people are familiar with the product, but it's very different from leeks. But, fennel has become slightly more popular in recent years. People are experimenting more with cooking. And TV chefs increasingly use it in their dishes," Gilke continues.
"My parents don't just farm conventionally. They have an organic vegetable cultivation company called Tobbe, too. Fresh2b also trades these organic leeks and fennel. The organic acreage is tiny compared to 85 hectares. Demand for organic products is, however, still growing steadily. Our conventional farming already tends to be very organic. We plan to switch completely, which is necessary to be future-proof. The legislation regarding fertilizers and pesticides is becoming increasingly strict. By switching to organic cultivation, we hope to overcome these obstacles."
Fresh2B supplies much of these products in bulk to the retail market. But they also offer packaged leeks. "Groentenhof packs the leeks in flow packs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, demand for this packaged product has increased considerably. Packaging is now trendy; while unpackaged products used to be the trend. Many people have gotten used to the situation and measures," says Gilke.
"Demand for packaged leeks has, however, risen. I don't think this trend will continue after the crisis. But many consumers now realize that it's sometimes necessary to package products. Groentenhof also sorts the leeks with a 360-degree grading machine. This unique system sorts the leeks according to their white length and size. It then checks its quality. This sorting method ensures we can always offer leeks of consistent quality."
"Climate change and the extra work this brings are challenging. It's also becoming a problem to find good staff, certainly during this crisis. Fortunately, we were able to continue working well during the pandemic. Our people didn't have to come from abroad. So the travel restrictions didn't hinder them. All our workers are based in Belgium. But finding the right people for jobs that require some responsibility is difficult. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic about the future. We believe that with our high-quality product and great family business, we have a bright future," concludes Gilke.
More information
Gilke Croket
Fresh2B
Bovenstraat 179
2880 Bornem
gilke@fresh2b.be
T: +32 (0)3 331 99 97