Mid-May marked the start of peak season at the Belgian hospitality wholesaler Square Melon. "With us, though, the switch wasn't in Spanish stone fruit, but mainly the Belgian assortment that came onto the market," begins Pasquino De Vuyst of Square Melon and De Vuyst wholesalers, where his father Theo still lends a helping hand. "A small product wholesaler" is how Pasquino describes Square Melon. Groothandel De Vuyst, founded by the De Vuyst family, specializes primarily in supplying other wholesalers.
Foto: Dreamstime
Van Landschoot used to be one of those, but in 2017, it was taken over and renamed Square Melon. With that, Pasquino continues to focus on supplying hospitality establishments around Ghent, where the company wants to differentiate itself by offering niche products. "That means, with us, Belgian asparagus remains a top seller. However, green asparagus and tomatoes from France, chanterelles from Bulgaria, and special strawberry varieties from Belgium, like pineapple strawberry, sell well, too. Eateries use these products to usher in the summer."
And that, says Pasquino, is most welcome. "April and May are normally our best months of the year, but the weather's playing tricks on us this year. We can usually entice the hospitality sector with asparagus and strawberries. However, especially in strawberries, the large volumes are lacking. Last year, we had those in early April, but we've now only had them since mid-May. Also, sales aren't as smooth when the weather's dreary," he says.
"Asparagus sales went better than in other years because there was little product on the market. That's disadvantageous for some, but we had enough to work with the nice prices caused by the shortage. Plus, sales usually dip in May, when growers start offering them themselves. That's not happened this year yet. We hear that it's not a given that growers can get into the fields, so they stay with us for longer."
No holiday peak
The hospitality wholesaler, nonetheless, looks forward to a good summer. That always remains a peak time of year for Square Melon, although De Vuyst sees that the holiday rush is starting to level off slightly. "When it's sunny, everyone starts enjoying themselves, but the holidays are less intense sales periods than they used to be. Restaurants are closed more often because of staff shortages, so the busy period is more spread out for us, too," he explains.
"We experience the same staffing problems, so we're more likely to give people time off at times like that. On the other hand, the rest of the year isn't quieter. Normally, our dip is from January to March, but in recent years, that's actually reversed. Big cities - in our case, Ghent - have started to gear their terraces more and more toward tourists in the colder months with, for example, heaters. That means the traditionally 'lesser' months aren't that quiet anymore. That's not a bad thing."
"April still heralds the beginning of our busiest time. That hasn't changed. Especially now that the sun's out, many people get married or organize communions or corporate parties, and restaurants are open more. It's always a wonderful time of year. And, whereas for wholesalers who supply greengrocers and retail that goes hand in hand with Spanish nectarines and cherries, for us, it's mostly about Belgian specialities. Everything hits the market, so besides the niche products mentioned, the hospitality industry also likes getting its hands on Belgian soft fruit, vegetables and specialities," Pasquino concludes, adding, "Time for a beautiful, busy summer."
Square Melon - Van Landschoot
Bij Sint-Jacobs 20-23
Ghent 9000
T: +32 9 223 34 16
[email protected]
www.square-melon.be
