It's a day before Christmas, which means that things are slowly starting to storm in the fruit and vegetable speciality shops. For some, this starts weeks in advance, but at Grappe de Raisins, the real rush has yet to erupt. "Our customers are not the type who plan out the complete menu weeks in advance, but we are in Knokke, a place where people mostly have holiday homes, which strongly determines buying behaviour. People come in spontaneously, see what's available and take something with them, or they have us prepare it for them," says manager Jan Hannon.
It doesn't mean it's quiet, as preparations are certainly ongoing. "That means a lot of work in the kitchen: putting together cheese boards, charcuterie boards and fruit baskets. That happens almost continuously," says Jan. In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, the Knokke-Heist-based specialist shop also has cheeses, charcuterie and prepared meals in its range. "After all, you have to be able to deliver when people ask for something. The kitchen is already running at full speed to prepare everything, but from tomorrow intensive sales will also start. And next week, after Christmas, we expect the absolute peak."
In fact, he sees New Year as the real peak. "That has everything to do with our customer base. Many of our customers have second homes here. They often celebrate Christmas Eve at home with family and then leave for the coast for a short holiday. During that period, they visit us for quality products, convenience and experience. We see that pattern every year."
Cooking at home
However, Jan says, there has been a real shift towards convenience in recent years. "Prepared products and convenience play a big role. People are increasingly opting for convenience. The classic meal where everything is still prepared yourself, a piece of meat with potatoes and vegetables, is becoming less and less common. This is a trend we see all year round, but around the holidays it becomes especially visible. In this, we have specialised in the aperitif segment: appetisers, small dishes and luxury drinks. Full-fledged meals we hardly do."
"This development has clearly increased in recent years. On the one hand, because many restaurants stay closed more often around the holidays, partly from the idea of a better work-life balance. On the other hand, corona has had a lasting impact. People then, out of necessity, learned to celebrate at home and some of that behaviour has stuck. As a result, we sell significantly more during this period than we used to."
Chilean cherries and Dominican Charentais
Runners-up for Grappe de Raisins during this period remain products such as Belgian endives, cauliflower and truffles, for example. "Here the preference for our clientele is quality. Price is almost never a decisive factor with our customers; quality all the more. We are in a location with a clientele willing to pay for top quality. It has to look good, be fresh and taste perfect."
In fruit, exotic does appear to be less and less in demand. "Whereas exotics used to be really a holiday product, we now sell less of them during this period than we used to. Products like Chilean cherries remain popular, but these are not actually exotic fruits, rather out-of-season products. True specialities like pitahaya and other niche products used to be more in demand than they are now. Nowadays, customers ask for them much less. This is partly because the range of 'classic' fruit has improved enormously. The quality is high and the range wide. For example, we currently have beautiful Charentais melons from the Dominican Republic. These are visually attractive and of excellent taste. Then the choice is quickly made and customers see no reason to go for something exotic."
For more information:
Jan Hannon
Grappe de Raisins
Tel: +32 (0)50 63 17 17
[email protected]
www.grappederaisins.be
