Several months ago, Belgian food service wholesaler Square Melon relocated from bustling Ghent to nearby Zelzate. The Cash and Carry is still in Ghent, but for order picking and transportation, the company proactively chose a site with room to grow. "By now, most customers with specific requests for specialties know where to find us," begins Pasquino De Vuyst. He also owns wholesaler De Vuyst, where his father, Theo, still helps out.
"A small item wholesaler" is how the two describe their businesses. De Vuyst wholesalers, founded by the De Vuyst family, mainly specializes in delivery to other wholesalers. Van Landschoot used to be one of those food service wholesalers, but in 2017, the family acquired it, later renaming it Square Melon. They still focus on food service delivery but aim to differentiate themselves by offering niche products. Both companies are now housed together in Zelzate.
"Ghent simply became difficult. The city was renovating the square in front of our building, and that uncertainty meant we didn't know whether we could still unload and load our trucks. The city prefers greenery over extra parking spaces, so we decided to take matters into our own hands. Honestly, it's one of the best decisions we've made. Ghent is still great for the Cash and Carry, but for larger transport, the new location is much more efficient," says Pasquino.
The companies can also now benefit from each other's trade. "Size-wise, it doesn't make much difference, but the site is better situated on the delivery route. We've organized it much more efficiently, too. However, the best part might be that we can strengthen each other. We want to stand out by being quick on the ball."
"If we get a request at Square Melon and don't have it, we can always use each other's range. We, thus, complement each other. We've managed to extend the chain from import to wholesaler to catering. Eventually, the companies may merge completely to align distribution and warehousing fully," Pasquino explains.
Showroom for chefs
"For now, that's a thing for the future." Square Melon still fully focuses on food service delivery, especially with the specialties other wholesalers cannot deliver as fast. That is something Pasquino started about seven years ago. "And it's been running like a well-oiled machine since. We quickly established a reputation in the hospitality sector in and around Ghent, building a solid client base. The Cash and Carry, though, remains our flagship. That's is a kind of showroom - which we restock twice a day - where buyers can come to glimpse the possibilities," he says.
"For enthusiastic home cooks, but especially for restaurant chefs, it's the perfect place to get inspired. I invite our regular partners to the store each season so they can see what's new in the range. Or to highlight nice, lesser-known products. It's an important way of trading for us. Making it clear to customers that they should actively work with us instead of just taking delivery so we can develop new concepts together."
"That's also where we distinguish ourselves. We're an independent company that handles every specific request. The big companies often can't meet a restaurateur's special need; small volumes aren't lucrative enough. If they come to us, they can think of anything. That ranges from specific requests to tiny orders. Sometimes too small to earn on, but if clients know they can get something from Square Melon, they come for other products, too," says De Vuyst.
From cocktail bars to food trucks
Pasquino also sees that the hospitality industry has changed. "Restaurants are no longer just sit-down luxury places where chefs produce beautiful dishes. We're in a time when creativity is paramount. Our buyers vary from fry shops to star restaurants and sushi bars to cocktail bars. You name it. In recent years, I've seen everything."
"We have a regular customer who stops in front of the Cash and Carry with his food truck in the morning to roam the store to see what he's going to buy, prepare, and sell that day. These days, you deliver to 101 establishments, all with their specific product wishes. It defies imagination. Sometimes, you don't earn much, but it makes the job wonderful," Pasquino continues.
The food service wholesaler's assortment consists of an extensive variety. "It, obviously, depends somewhat on the season and client wishes. We still do the 'standard products', like potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, which we buy from Dutch or Belgian auctions. However, we're getting increasingly better at importing and want to reach a point where we import everything ourselves, especially the specialties."
"For example, we do chanterelles from Sweden, a pallet of forest mushrooms is now coming from Portugal, and we work with two Spanish shippers for lettuce. These aren't huge quantities, but we try to do what we can ourselves. Besides fresh fruit and vegetables, we're also attempting to expand more and more with nuts, seeds, organic juices, and dried fruit. But also olives and olive oil where we have a regular partner," Pasquino says.
Square Melon is 'not afraid' of the big players either. "We have our own customer base, who can no longer ignore us. You go to others for a pallet of juicing oranges, but with us, you can get a box of oranges, one of wild mushrooms, and another three of honey tomatoes, which we deliver together. That kind of specific request delivery is no longer available these days."
"And by being known for it, buyers also see we can respond to a range with 'other' products. We hardly really plan. A lot goes by the day: what's coming in, what do customers want? Being flexible and quick on the ball is how we earn our place in the market. If a processor orders 14,000 ready-to-eat mangoes in the morning, we get to work, ensuring it's at their door in the afternoon," De Vuyst explains.
Fast, intensive trade
"It makes every day different and ensures you can always try out nice new products. For instance, we have an excellent trade in fresh truffles from Greece at this time of year. You go and see if buyers can work with that." Pasquino sees that trade has changed in this respect. "Everything's much faster, with far more intense communication."
"When I have a new product, I send a teaser to a fixed list of 200 chefs. They can then immediately see what kind of meat (or vegetables) they have. That works well; you can easily let customers know what you have and what they can have fun with. Plus, these products are nice and profitable. It certainly pays off, but it's also much more intensive. You have to be ready for requests or calls almost day and night," Pasquino reckons.
"That works the other way around, too. Buyers can quickly reach out if they need something. They simply send a message, or we already send it. Almost all of our trading is now via WhatsApp or social media. It's slightly more time-consuming, but you have a quicker idea of what you are getting and what will sell."
"Sometimes the product doesn't even touch the ground, and it's already sold. That's thanks to the photos that I show to customers, and they then take the product. The result is that you're busy 24 hours a day, but it's worth it. We're also trying to respond to this by developing a webshop. That was, unfortunately, delayed, but we should launch it this year," Pasquino expects.
Whether the move is a prelude to further expansion, De Vuyst dare not say. "Let's first enjoy the development we're experiencing. We currently work with a team of 30 people, which is just enough to keep everything under control. Still, it means my father or I can't really be away. We, thus, first want to grow the organization."
"And set up a future-proof company. We potentially already have that with our customers, but I think you should never outpace yourself. We'll see how things go. There are plenty of opportunities, which we'd love to grab when the time's right," Pasquino concludes, laughing.
For more information:
Pasquino De Vuyst
Square Melon
20/23 Bij Sint-Jacobs
9000, Ghent, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 922 33 416
info@square-melon.be
www.square-melon.be