The persistent heat in southern Germany has also had an effect on the supply situation for cultivated mushrooms, he said. "In the case of mushrooms, there is a lack of quantities in some cases, but demand is constantly present. During the holiday season, which will soon begin here, demand is traditionally somewhat more restrained. In the weeks before, street festivals take place in many villages in the countryside, where the mushroom pans are usually well received. This is definitely noticeable in the volume of goods purchased," says Ralf Müller, mushroom wholesaler at the Stuttgart wholesale market.
The family business, which was founded in 1962, is considered the contact point in the field of cultivated and wild mushrooms for restaurateurs as well as traders at the local wholesale market. The family also runs a catering delivery service and two weekly market stalls in Pforzheim and Leonberg. Müller: "We get our mushrooms from Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. There are still certain catering customers who specifically ask for German goods. But we also get very good mushrooms from Poland from a reliable partner with whom we have been working for years."
Ralf Müller at the wholesale market stand in the Stuttgart Producers' Hall.
German fine and forest mushrooms
Furthermore, Müller also cooperates with the regional cultivation company TomDam Pilze GbR from Esslingen, which is completely dedicated to the production of organic fine mushrooms. "We mainly market their herb mushrooms and shiitake. In general, we are noticing that the popularity of regional organic fine mushrooms is on the rise. This is also due to the fact that eating habits have changed massively in recent years," observes the mushroom merchant.
Meanwhile, wild mushrooms, especially chanterelles, are also particularly popular at the moment. "After the end of the asparagus season, we seamlessly continued with the first Serbian chanterelles, followed by the first arrivals from Lithuania. In week 28, we also received the first batches from German wild collection. The special thing about these chanterelles is that they are protected, which is why not everyone is allowed to offer them," Müller points out the unique selling point of German wild mushrooms.
"In terms of quantity, however, German chanterelles tend to be a smaller item, and due to the heat there will probably be fewer products this year. But if the weather then plays along in September, we may be able to offer them until October," he concludes.
Further information:
Ralf Müller
Müller Champignons GmbH
Großmarkt Stuttgart
Telefon 07044 / 94 07 75 oder 07044 / 94 08 48
info@muellerchampignons.de
www.muellerchampignons.de