"Europe: "Many varieties of beetroot are very popular in UK"

PS Europe is a Belgian exporter that offers a variety of fresh vegetables. The focus is on baby leafs, lettuce varieties and herbs. In addition, PS Europe offers a range of several winter vegetables. "Beetroot is currently a real emerging vegetable," says Line van Hoecke excitedly. "The beetroot trade is a niche market, which is increasingly on the move lately. The image of this product is starting to change; we have seen a huge increase in demand for beetroot in the last 1.5 years, mainly in the UK." According to Line, the UK is a real trendsetter. "After a few years you notice that other countries are following suit." There is now a nice assortment of raw and cooked beets in supermarkets in the Netherlands, and you see a change in what is on offer. But it is not like this in Belgium. One example in the Netherlands is the retailer Albert Heijn, offering different coloured beets as a kind of 'traffic light' in flow-pack. The spotlight is constantly on beets."

Trends in England

PS Europe works closely with a company that processes the products and supplies them to English retailers. "We supply the fresh vegetables and they make processed products for the customers." She indicates that the beetroot range is expanding in the English supermarkets." At first we only had the 'long-life' beetroot, traditionally packaged in glass or air tight containers. Now you see the 'short-life' beet, which in turn are eaten freshly grated in salads. Additionally, the boiled beetroot is also available with a herbal mix of sorts. Examples include beetroot with balsamic vinegar, and beetroot with chilli combined with a raspberry extract is also very tasty. This gives an additional flavour to the product. They are not just eaten as an additional salad ingredient, but also as cocktail snacks. Beetroot makes a salad even more decorative. You notice less of all these trends over here, but they are sure to come."

Roasted vegetables

Van Hoecke says that developments in a market have a lot to do with the population's taste. "We are going back to a more traditional experience. Another trend that has been going on in the UK for a while and can now be seen in the Netherlands and Belgium, is oven roasted vegetables. Parsnips are one of the most popular ones. These 'forgotten vegetables' are consumed more and more. We import the parsnip year round from all over Europe and divide them between Belgium, the Netherlands, and England. Previously, parsnip was almost exclusively eaten in combination with mash, but now it's an oven dish, with or without spices. Beetroot fits perfectly into that picture. The versatility of this product is a real journey of discovery."



For more information:
Line van Hoecke
Produce Services Europe BVBA
Vinkenlei 5
2950 Kapellen - Belgie
Tel +32 (0) 3 666.96.70
www.pseurope.be