Easter is approaching once again, and for hotel and catering wholesalers, it marks a peak period. The same applies at Square Melon, where Easter has now overtaken Christmas in terms of activity, says Pasquino De Vuyst of the wholesaler near Ghent. "This is also linked to the traditional start of Belgian asparagus, which every restaurant wants on the menu at Easter."
At Square Melon, the asparagus season is now in full swing, although it started slightly later than usual this year. "At the end of February and the beginning of March, I noticed that demand had not really taken off yet. Of course, volumes were still very limited, and prices were high. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It is better to have a shorter, more intense season than one that drags on slowly."
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According to Pasquino, this is also a deliberate choice by growers. "We used to have three major growers who started very early. Now we only have one, and he also decided to start a bit later this year. We communicated this to our customers, indicating we would begin one to two weeks later, and that is exactly how it turned out."
Asparagus only more expensive towards Easter
Once the season began, supply increased rapidly. "When we first started loading, we had about 30 crates, but by the end of the week, we were easily loading 200 crates per day. Everything is running smoothly," he explains.
On the sales side, Pasquino expects demand to remain strong. "Just a few days of good weather immediately gave a boost in shops. If temperatures drop again, supply will decline, and I expect prices to rise further. The lowest prices before Easter have already passed." The hospitality sector plays a key role in this. "Around Easter, almost every restaurant features asparagus on the menu. They are willing to pay regardless of the price. After the holiday period, prices will ease again, as they do every year."
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Strawberries, wild garlic, and morels
Not only asparagus, but strawberries are also arriving slightly later this year. "We only loaded the first high-quality strawberries from BelOrta last week. But here too, it is better to start strong than to have a slow beginning. Larger volumes are still to come, but the outlook is positive. From next week onwards, we expect steady availability and gradually easing prices."
In addition to asparagus and strawberries, Pasquino notes a clear seasonal transition in the product range. "Lamb's ears and wild garlic are currently strong sellers. We are also handling French Gariguette strawberries from the Lille market. The mushroom segment is also performing very well. We sold chanterelles and Pied de Mouton for a long time, and now morels are in demand as well. We are still waiting for wild asparagus, which should arrive within two to three weeks."
These wild products come directly from France. "Our wild asparagus and wild garlic come from the Vosges, where they are harvested over the weekend. We place orders on Monday, they are available at the Lille market on Tuesday, and delivered to customers by Wednesday. It cannot get any fresher. It is enjoyable work. Overall, we have had a very good spring so far. Normally, there is a dip in January and February, but we have not experienced that this year."
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Summer season
The trader also observes a shift in demand patterns. "The Christmas period is less intense than it used to be," he explains. "More hospitality businesses are closing during that time, which reduces peak demand. What used to be an extremely busy period now allows some of our drivers to take holidays. There is a clear trend toward staff working fewer hours, shorter days, and fewer public holidays. Hospitality should operate when others are off, but we see customers adapting their approach, and we have to adapt as well."
"It is what it is," Pasquino concludes. "It certainly does not mean we are less busy. The winter period and the first months of 2026 have been particularly strong for us, just at different times compared to a few years ago." Looking ahead, he expects supply to continue increasing. "As we move toward summer, volumes will gradually rise, and we will be fully busy again."
For more information:
Pasquino De Vuyst
Square Melon
Bij Sint-Jacobs 20/23
9000 Ghent, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 9 223 34 16
[email protected]
www.square-melon.be
