De Roeck en Zonen has been working with Sucre for 15 years already, and is the exclusive importer of fruit under this brand for Belgium. Watermelons have been back in the assortment for several weeks now. According to Patrick de Roeck, the name Sucre has not been chosen by the shipping agent without reason. “Once you have tasted the melon, you understand why.”
Icing on the cake
The watermelons come from shipping agent Sala Hermanos. De Roeck indicates that the quality of these melons has to be sublime to fall under the brand. “They have to be ‘primer corte’ which means that pickers walk across the field of melons once, and only choose the very best melons. The others are for the next customer. So Sucre is the icing on the cake.” No other melons fall under the brand. “The watermelon is also the most difficult variety to offer a perfect product of. If you buy a 4-5 kilo melon, it needs to be superb.” Currently prices are high. “We are between 1.20 and 1.30 euro per kilo now, and this means watermelons can cost up to 8 or 9 euro each in retail.”
De Roeck offers Sucre watermelons from the end of May until the end of August. “Annually, we receive and sell about three million kilos of Sucre melons. It depends on the weather circumstances. When it is warm, sales always go well.”
For more information:
Patrick de Roeck
Nv E De Roeck en Zonen
Werkhuizenkaai 112-154
Mag 50-52
1000 Brussel
+ 32 - 2242 6220