In mid-November, the festive season orders started trickling in at Bud Holland. “After two pandemic years, people can truly get together again, and the hospitality sector’s not under lockdown. We hope sales reflect that,” begins Wanja Engbersen.
Bud Holland is a Dutch company that imports exotic fruit and vegetables and niche products from around the world. Many find their way to the hospitality industry through local and overseas wholesalers. Buyers and sellers are expecting plenty of festive trade.
Peruvian products: Peruvian products are becoming increasingly popular
Restaurants open again over the holidays
At the time of writing, there was no true Christmas rush yet. “The market should pick up from now. People want to eat something special at this time of year. And, for the first time in years, people can gather en masse again. After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, eateries are open again this year.” Inflation is, however, causing some uncertainty. “But that’s not affecting sales much yet. We’re expecting the transitional bustle, especially towards the holidays,” says Wanja.
With an assortment of 600+ fresh products, Bud Holland has plenty of unique products to choose from for Christmas. Traditional demands include asparagus, haricot verts, sugar snaps, fresh figs, mangosteen, baby pineapple, passion fruit, physalis, and mini vegetables. “Special potatoes also do well in December, and there’s a rising demand for Moroccan citrus products like Sudachi limes, finger limes, and Yuzu. Fresh wasabi, too, is very popular. It isn’t the green paste often served with sushi, so true sushi chefs prefer it. Another product that has received a big boost in recent years is jackfruit. Among other things, this is often used as a meat substitute. Jackfruit appears on more and more menus these days.”
Peru is hot
Wanja also notices that more and more European restaurants want authentic products from Peru and Thailand. According to him, that is mainly due to the many travelers who get to know those products in far-flung places. “Chefs like innovating with special products too. Many Peruvian restaurants have opened recently. That country has a rich cuisine that frequently incorporates fruits and vegetables. Besides the familiar Peruvian products such as mangoes and asparagus, there’s an increasing demand for things like the sweet Lucuma fruit, peppers such as Rocoto, Aji Amarillo, and Aji Limo, and various colorful tubers like Yacon, Mashua, and Oca. The Peruvian embassy recently organized a food festival with Peruvian products from Bud Holland to inspire chefs,” Wanja explains.
What is their take on sustainability?
Flown-in young coconuts and tree-ripened mangoes are some of the products that are increasingly in demand. Speaking of air freight, it seems more and more retailers are starting to refuse flown fruits and vegetables. How does Bud Holland view this? “Of course, we pay plenty of attention to sustainability; conserving energy, solar panels, reducing emissions, sustainable packaging, and so on. We also source products closer to home. For example, this year, we began offering seaweed from the North Sea and Dutch young greenhouse ginger. French ‘Vitelotte’ potatoes are now locally grown, so we have those too. Our range consists of many special, flavorful, exotic products from overseas, as well as from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.”
Thai products: Some of the Thai range
“We think this whole sustainability story could be more nuanced. We’ve been working with some partners for more than 30 years, some as long as 40. We help local producers market their products, and many people live off the work on and around those plantations. That, too, is sustainability and paramount to us,” concludes Wanja. (CH)
Wanja Engbersen
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Bud Holland
Tel: +31 (0)174 535352
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www.bud.nl