On the 25th of September the festive presentation of the brand Lathouwers & co took place in the C. Vandenstock stadium of Anderlecht. It concerned the potatoes and the chicory of the brand Deli D'or. Lathouwers started around 50 years ago and has always remained in the family. Today the cousins Joris and Jan Lathouwers are the managers of the company. "The quality brand Deli D'or has been on the market for a while, but this is the moment to announce it to the public," say the two men.
"What we found remarkable was that there has never before been a strong brand of potatoes and chicory. Customers can now choose from various packages, for potatoes as well as chicory."
The opening was alternated by various presentations of speakers and staff. This was humourously lead by the Limburg ventriloquist Arman Schreurs. Singer Freddy Birset lead the musical side.
Limburg ventriloquist Armand Schreurs (right) and singer Freddy Birset
Jan Lathouwers talked about the history of Lathouwers. He indicates that when the company started it was already a potato and chicory trader. Since 2003 they have owned a new company building on at the Veilinglaan in Wolvertem. "The new building is fitted with the most modern techniques in the area of potato and chicory processing. This, combined with years of expertise in the sector, means that Lathouwers & co have all the aces to supply a product that meets the demands of the customer."
Joris and Jan Lathouwers
Presentation of Professor Wim Verbeke
Professor of Agrofood-marketing and consumer behaviour at UV Gent, Wim Verbeke, gave a presentation to point out to those present that this is a strong brand with a lot of importance in the fruit and vegetable world. "Research shows that there is always different aspects that consumers find important when buying a product. Today authenticity is a 'hot item'. What people have found decisive for years, is taste. Taste and authenticity must be played into to keep the consumer satisfied."Professor Wim Verbeke
Wim Verbeke also showed a number of trends by way of graphics and pictures. It turns out that smaller packages are becoming more popular. There is also an important shift happening in the choice of potato varieties. He indicated that there is a decreasing consumption visible for chicory in the past years. "Another reason to work with this product distinctively by using a brand. Nowadays there's an "information overload" on the packaging, and this leads to uncertainty among the customers. Seeing as the consumer will start to ignore this overload of information, the best strategy is to play into this as a company by looking for an easy decision rule. One brand. Once you've earned their trust, they will be more likely to choose a brand."
Joris Lathouwers indicated that he believes strongly in Deli D'or's success. "By playing into new trends with a strong brand, we are trying to convince people to buy. We have various packaging and we could possibly reach new international markets with this. We look towards the future positively. First of all we will scan the market and we expect good demand for these products."
Peter de Clercq, top chef and world champion BBQ'er, had prepared delicious treats after the opening to let those present enjoy the potato and chicory in cuisine. "Chicory is a delicious vegetable on the barbecue," he says enthusiastically. He also gave the tip to cook potatoes in a different way. "This creates whole new flavours."
Peter de Clercq
For more information:
Lathouwers & co
Veilinglaan 39
1861 Wolvertem - België
Tel: +32 - 52397900
Fax: +32 - 52397902
www.delidor.eu
[email protected]
Packaging supplier Jan van den Heuvel of VDH Concept
These people presented the Brussels ground chicory. On the left, president Frans Bergen. This year the ground chicory season will be opened officially for the first time on the 28th of September 2012 in Steenokkerzeel.