© Burgmühle GmbH
The recent heatwave in weeks 26/27 is also posing some challenges at the procurement level. "The processing of leafy salads from the region in particular will require significantly more effort, which will also lead to higher wastage rates. In recent times, iceberg lettuce has repeatedly shown brown discoloration at the cut surfaces, which is particularly noticeable in the increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions. This has a negative impact on shelf life," reports Raimond Zorn (right), sales manager for the Aachen and Rhine-Main region at fresh-cut specialist Burgmühle Salate und Gemüse GmbH. In the medium to long term, the gradual restriction of approved pesticides against pests such as lice could jeopardize the procurement of regional raw materials, Zorn continues.
Burgmühle Salate und Gemüse GmbH has been producing and marketing ready-to-eat lettuce and vegetable products for almost 40 years. Its customers include canteens, clinics, and catering wholesalers in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Zorn: "With the start of the holiday season, the out-of-home market, especially canteens and restaurants, traditionally experiences a decline in demand, while demand in the fly catering sector increases noticeably. In other areas, such as processing companies, clinics, and bakery chains, however, we see relatively constant demand for our products throughout the year."
© Burgmühle GmbHA view of the Burgmühle Salate und Gemüse GmbH vehicle fleet. The company delivers its products exclusively itself with a shelf life of three days.
The Burgmühle product range has always been adapted to changing requirements and sales structures. The once modest product range – with bagged lettuce as the absolute bestseller – has been expanded considerably over the years, so that today a wide variety of lettuce, wok vegetables, potato products, fruit salads, and to-go cups are available. "Despite steady growth, we have managed to retain our manufacturing character. This is because every single product we offer is a combination of manual and machine processing. What continues to set us apart is that, as a medium-sized company, we can respond flexibly to customer-specific needs," emphasizes Zorn. However, rising logistics costs and labor shortages are also increasingly causing problems for convenience suppliers, he adds.
© Burgmühle GmbHInsight into convenience production at Burgmühle. The company offers around 500 standard items on a permanent basis , but also manufactures numerous customized products and cuts.
Growth potential in catering and school meals
The convenience landscape has changed fundamentally in recent years. "The breakthrough came around 15 years ago when student unions embraced fresh-cut products," says Zorn, looking back. In the years that followed, the use of ultra-fresh convenience products was also promoted more strongly in other areas of the market. The outbreak of COVID-19 five years ago was another game changer. "The issue of working from home is noticeable for us, as it is for our market competitors, since the number of people eating out has declined sharply overall, especially in the early days after COVID-19 in the corporate catering sector. We are currently seeing a slight increase in the number of people eating out at a number of our customers, but this is still well below the figures from before COVID-19."
© Burgmühle GmbH
Coleslaw salad
Burgmühle GmbH does not expect any growth in the catering sector and anticipates that figures will remain stable over the next few years. "However, we do expect growth in the restaurant sector, partly due to the shortage of skilled workers, and we anticipate rising demand here in the coming years. We also see considerable potential in the school catering sector. We are already seeing a significant increase in demand here. The challenge will be to adapt to the individual needs of each customer group and to achieve a consistently high level of reliability," he concludes.
For more information:
Raimond Zorn
Burgmühle Salate und Gemüse GmbH
Dürener Straße 335
50171 Kerpen
Tel: +49 (0)2275 109 450
[email protected]
www.burgmuehle-frischsalate.de
