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Bernd Gläßner celebrates two company anniversaries

"The situation in the regional gastronomy sector is extremely difficult"

This year's open field harvest in Berkatal in north-east Hesse was slightly below average. "We have no irrigation facilities, which is why we have to live with the weather. In short, it is too warm in summer and too wet in autumn this year. So without irrigation, it's becoming increasingly difficult, but as a medium-sized business we can't afford large-scale irrigation technology," confirms Bernd Gläßner, owner and managing director of the vegetable growing and wholesale business of the same name based in Berkatal-Hitzerode.

Gläßner cultivates leafy vegetables, cabbages and herbs, among other things, which he markets himself in the region. "We not only produce the usual cabbage varieties, but also kale and Brussels sprouts. The latter is still sold to some extent, but consumers, especially the younger generation, are increasingly shying away from kale. We mainly supply weekly markets and unfortunately these are generally in sharp decline. But gastronomy is also weakening somewhat. Added to this are the sharp cost increases in vegetable growing. You can make a living from it, but things are getting tighter and tighter," explains Gläßner.

75 years of vegetable growing, 20 years of wholesale
Despite the difficult conditions, Gläßner has two reasons to celebrate this year. In 1948, 75 years ago, Otto Gläßner opened his first stall at the weekly market. In 2003, his grandson and current owner turned wholesale into another business pillar alongside horticulture. "There are always product hypes that appear and then stop again at some point. Cabbage was sold a lot 30 years ago, but now consumption is much lower. The opposite is true for lamb's lettuce: 30 years ago, it wasn't eaten very much, but today it's a huge topic, especially in winter. We can offer it from our own cultivation until the first frost and then purchase greenhouse produce from regular partners."


On the other hand, a longer-term growth trend is emerging in the convenience sector, observes Gläßner. "Here, too, we are well positioned as we have reliable partners from whom we can flexibly source the majority of our range and also process goods ourselves. Caterers, clinics and canteen kitchens no longer have any staff at all, which means that they are increasingly switching to convenience products, whether mono-products, ready-made salad mixes or fruit salads."

Right: Bernd Gläßner grows broccoli and romanesco, among other things.

Overall, the producer and direct marketer has mixed feelings about the future. "In my opinion, the sharp rise in costs, especially fuel and fertiliser, is disproportionate to the only slight increase in producer prices that we achieve. On the sales side, the situation in the gastronomy sector is extremely difficult: it started with corona: Everyone who was about to retire quit. The subsequent war in Ukraine means that people are holding on to their money. On the other hand, there are still young entrepreneurs who are deciding in favour of the business and setting up their own business, even in our catchment area," concludes Gläßner.

Images: Gläßner Fruchtgroßhandel

For more information:
Bernd Gläßner
Gläßner Fruchtgroßhandel
Stadtweg 13
37297 Berkatal-Hitzerode
Tel.: 0 56 52 - 58 99 88
[email protected]
www.fruchthandel-glaessner.de