Looye Kwekers' Honing tomatoes have become a staple in the German greengrocer Ten Eicken's standard assortment. "We've had them in our range for over seven years now, and sales rise yearly," says Miriam Ten Eicken. "Remarkably, everyone, young and old, loves them. They're especially popular as snack vegetables, and some customers take as many as ten bunches."
The German greengrocer's colorful facade.
The Ten Eicken team with Miriam and Thomas Ten Eicken (r).
The Ten Eicken family not only runs this local greengrocer on the town's main street, but they also have a delivery service for both individuals and businesses like nursery schools. This branch, in particular, grew steadily during the pandemic. "Here, too, people are asking specifically for Honing tomatoes. Employees will buy them from us and recommend them to the company where they work. That's, of course, a nice form of word-of-mouth advertising," Miriam admits.
Ten Eicken has been taking part in all van Looye promotions since 2019.
Sustainable cultivation process
Sales-wise, Honing tomatoes are primarily becoming a year-round item with high demand throughout the year. "There's a slight dip in the summer, as many hobby gardeners try growing tomatoes for their own use. You can, however, not compare these to commercially cultivated products. Honing tomatoes are an absolute highlight and virtually one of a kind across the entire tomato range," Ten Eicken explains.
The Ten Eicken team visited the Van Looye tomato greenhouses.
Most people associate the variety with quite high prices, so this tomato is now considered a premium product. Despite the universal cost and price increases on fruit and vegetable shelves, these tomatoes' prices have only minimally increased, reports the retailer. "I think not only their quality but the whole growing process behind the product justifies the price."
"We visited the Dutch farm for the first time a few months back and got explanations and insight into sustainable tomato cultivation. That's 100% in line with our sustainability vision. We try to add to this by offering the tomatoes only in paper or reusable bags," Mirian concludes.
Photos: Ten Eicken Obst und Gemüse
For more information:
Miriam ten Eicken
Obst und Gemüse
134a Haupt Street
42579, Heiligenhaus, DE
Tel.: +49 157 719 19 778
Email: Miriam.zickwolf@gmail.com
Looye Kwekers Holding B.V.
10 Vlietboomgaard
2672 JA, Naaldwijk, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 174 520 060
Email: info@looye.com
www.looye.com