The predominantly wet and cold weather in recent weeks has had a noticeable impact on sales to the catering trade. "This is particularly noticeable in a seasonal business like chanterelles. Accordingly, sales of chanterelles have been rather disappointing so far," says Harvinder Singh Parhar, specialised mushroom wholesaler at the Frischezentrum Frankfurt and Managing Director of Ludwig-Reuter & Co, which is based there.
Harvinder Singh Parhar currently mainly offers his customers goods from Belarus. The campaign started with goods from the Balkan region.
Currently, the wild mushrooms popular in Germany are mainly sourced from Belarus, while the first quantities from Lithuania are also already reaching the market. Parhar: "Depending on the variety, the chanterelles are offered for between 9 and 12 euros/kg, with the ready-to-cook goods being priced somewhat higher. All grades are currently available in more than sufficient quantities to meet the restrained demand."
In the wild mushroom category, chanterelles are traditionally flanked by porcini mushrooms. "We do offer goods from Ukraine and Romania, but I would describe porcini mushrooms primarily as an autumn business. From the end of August, demand usually tends to rise noticeably. Nevertheless, there is also a brief peak in the run-up to Christmas, when we offer goods by air from South Africa, for example," says Parhar, describing the rest of the porcini mushroom season.
Ludwig Reuter Ltd supplies restaurants, hotels, care facilities, day-care centres, caterers, etc., among others. The heart of the company can be found in the central market hall of the Frischezentrum.
Mood in the mushroom industry is quite gloomy
In addition to seasonal wild mushrooms, Reuter also offers cultivated mushrooms of all kinds. The basic range includes mushrooms from Poland, as well as king oyster mushrooms and domestic shiitake. "You just notice that all cultivated mushrooms tend to become more expensive, which is clearly due to the increased costs, especially transport and energy. In this respect, the current mood in the mushroom industry is quite gloomy."
Overall, the mushroom business, whether forest or cultivated mushrooms, has tended to become more difficult in recent years, the wholesaler continues. "Until 10–15 years ago, we were one of the few mushroom specialists in the local fresh produce centre; today, almost everyone offers the entire product range, including wild and cultivated mushrooms. In this respect, I think the market is more competitive than it was a few years ago."
For more information:
Harvinder Singh Parhar
Ludwig-Reuter GmbH & Co KG
Josef-Eicher-Straße 10
60437 Frankfurt
Tel.: 069 / 446260
Fax: 069 / 446367
Email: [email protected]
www.ludwig-reuter.de