The summer season is in full swing for wholesalers. "With the beautiful weather, sales are running almost effortlessly," says Ellen Sebrechts of the wholesaler by the same name. "It may be going a little too well, as we're reaching our limits in terms of crowds, but we can't complain. Last year, spring was particularly poor, making it harder for our customers during their peak season. At the moment, though, hardly anyone is walking around dissatisfied," says the trader from Antwerp-based Sebrechts Groenten en Fruit.
"Many of the same products are in demand, true summer favourites," she continues. "Watermelons in all shapes and sizes are flying off the shelves. Cavaillons, both French and Spanish, are also delicious and selling well. The same goes for stone fruit. When it comes to cherries, for instance, we mostly work with French ones. Currently, Kordia remains the dominant force, and its excellent quality is largely due to the perfect weather conditions it's experienced there. We also have Spanish cherries, which are just as top-notch, and the first Belgian cherries have arrived. The first Belgian ones usually aren't the best, but in a week or two, France will be mostly finished, and the Belgian Kordia will come in. The transition will be smooth. For now, though, we have cherries in all price ranges and sizes. We aim to offer a wide variety, but our customers always go for the biggest and best-looking fruit, paying little attention to the price."
Other stone fruits are also in demand at Sebrechts. "We've brought in deep red apricots, and the plums are looking great. For flat peaches and nectarines, we use both French and Spanish sources. It's all available. Prices remain a bit higher for Spanish products compared to last year, but we also have cheaper options for the smaller sizes. People like to buy stone fruit on promotion during this time of year, so those are a bit more popular. Among the larger sizes, Spanish and French prices are quite close. In previous years, there was a bigger difference, but due to some climate issues in Spain, I don't expect larger sizes from there to become any cheaper."
Watch out for too much sun
Besides imported fruit, local soft fruit is also a strong performer at the wholesaler. "We get some from the Netherlands and some from Belgium. Strawberries, all kinds of berries, raspberries, blackberries, they're all available. Blueberries still need to come down a bit in price, considering their appearance, but quality-wise, everything is excellent. They need a lot of sun, and they've had it. Just be careful not to get too much sun, because then they can overripen quickly. You can already see this with the strawberries, which are significantly more expensive than last week due to increased spoilage. They're too ripe. Our main variety is Sonsation, but it's sensitive to heat, so storage requires extra care. Karima is now performing a bit better because it benefits from more sun. Customers are racing through the wholesale to find the best variety of the moment."
Finally, when it comes to vegetables, asparagus is slowly making its exit. "The Belgian season is almost over, so the transition is underway. It was a good season with strong prices, but now we're already seeing more demand for beans. Plus, with more barbecuing, there's growing demand for tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers. Prices for these are still fairly low. Cucumbers, in particular, are very cheap, so they're selling extremely well."
So, not many quiet moments right now for Sebrechts Groenten en Fruit. "But that's always the case this time of year. In a few weeks, the holidays will start and the weather will change, so for now, we're going full speed. Still, the demands keep increasing. Most of our sales nowadays happen via WhatsApp and photos. On one hand, that shows a lot of trust from our customers, which is great to see. On the other hand, it means we have to be extra careful not to break that trust. Especially in this weather, everything has to be kept and delivered properly. That earns a lot of appreciation, but also means extra work. Fortunately, we have a fantastic team of employees, so we can make sure everything runs smoothly."
For more information:
Ellen Sebrechts
Sebrechts Groenten & Fruit
Kielsbroek 4
2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
+32 32374192
[email protected]
www.sebrechtsfruit.be