"Sales were good all summer, but once the schools started again, demand was noticeably very high," says Noud van den Broek, Commercial Manager at the Dutch company, Banken Champignons, describing the market situation. "White mushroom demand is stable, while that for chestnut mushrooms is rising faster."
© Banken Champignons Lion's Mane Mushroom
"That's even more evident for the exotic shiitake and oyster mushrooms and, to a lesser extent, portobello mushrooms," Noud adds. He expects particularly exotic mushroom sales to keep increasing, mainly due to the growing demand for specialties from the hospitality sector and export destinations.
Noud sees convenience as a clear consumer focus. Banken Champignons' convenience department slices mushrooms and puts mixes together. "The advantage of processing the mushrooms ourselves as growers is that our product goes directly from the source to the consumer. We can, thus, offer fresh. long-lasting products."
Shorter, closed chains
Noud also notes that trade is increasingly taking place in closed chains, and the company wants to further intensify relationships with retailers. "Together, we focus on category management, providing our customers with advice based on things like market data analysis and joint internal data," he points out.
© Banken Champignons Enoki mushroom
"Plus, we respond innovatively to trends to generally promote mushroom consumption, such as offering alternatives to meat consumption based on fresh mushrooms, but also concepts that respond to the different seasons, like BBQ, Christmas, and game seasons."
According to Van den Broek, food waste is a hot topic for client partnerships. "Customized packaging can help prevent that. We have a role to play in the chain, and we want to actively contribute to reducing food waste. For example, we make minced mushrooms: ground 'meat' made exclusively from fresh mushrooms," he explains.
"Because we don't throw anything away, and neither should the public. So, we must consider what people can do with leftover mushrooms, too. That's why we offer inspiration in the kitchen. It's easy to whip up so many delicious things from mushrooms."
Leader in sustainability
That attention to food waste fits in with Banken Champignons' focus on sustainability. The Science Based Targets Initiative currently verifies sustainability targets. The mushroom sector has low emissions, Noud points out. "Look at meat emissions, for instance, beef," he says. "The FAO shows that this averages 27 kilograms of CO2 emissions per kilogram."
© Banken Champignons
"Replace meat in your diet with mushrooms, and you make a huge step towards sustainability and reducing CO2 emissions. That's where the future lies for us as a company. Mushroom consumption can still increase, and all signs point toward that," Noud concludes.
Voor meer informatie
Noud van den Broek
Banken Champignons
Tel: +31 24 36 67 451
[email protected]
www.bankenchampignons.com
