In the Netherlands, Easter sales are going well at G. Schönhage & Zn. Wholesalers. "But what's more even important than Easter is that the sun is shining again. People were fed up with the cold and rain and are noticeably looking forward to bluer skies," begins Jos Schönhage.
He says Christmas sales haven't been as good as usual for years, yet, Easter sales remain on par. "Days like Ascension and Pentecost used to be your top days; not anymore. People often take the weekend off and don't cook at home. That's even more common at Easter."
According to Jos, asparagus has recently been a typical Easter top seller. "That demand starts earlier and earlier," he adds.
"Fortunately, my asparagus supply's okay, and we've not had any shortages yet. Tasty spring strawberries like the Lambada also sell very well this week."
"As do beautiful Peruvian mangoes. The week before Easter is always good for sales," Jos explains.
"Many Dutch products like bell peppers and cauliflower have, luckily, started up again. It was tricky getting Spanish products in the year's first three months. It was harder to buy than sell. I've never before experienced such an extreme year."
G. Schönhage & Zn's client base consists primarily of higher-end greengrocers. "They still highly value flavor and quality. Their turnover exploded during the pandemic, something we'd never experienced before either. Everyone was eating at home and rediscovered their local greengrocer. Now everything's pretty much normalized again. Currently, the energy costs and labor issues are challenging for stores," Jos says.
De Groot fresh group
"Easter's early this year, and that weekend's weather forecast's good. It was, sadly, dark and cold last month, so asparagus and strawberry - Easter top sellers - supplies are still limited and they're priced high," says John van der Zouwen of one of De Groot fresh group's Dutch branches.
Strawberries and bell peppers under the Don Mario label.
"Fortunately, there are other products, and our entire portfolio is selling well. We're currently increasingly switching from Spanish to Belgian/Dutch produce, so consumers can keep enjoying our tasty products. In the summer, these are available under the Don Mario Eat Now label, synonymous with flavor and quality," John says.
Zaltbommel cooperative
Zalbommel Cooperative's director, Gerard van den Anker, called yesterday's auction a good Easter one.
"There was especially great strawberry demand. We auctioned a nice, suitable offering with prices reaching €5.19/pound," he says.
"That shows once again how efficient auctions are in an in-demand market. Above all, it's nice that with these prices, our growers are rewarded for their hard work. That's sorely needed, too, given the increased costs."
"Naturally, the sunny weather helps sales. There's good demand for other soft fruits like redcurrants and raspberries, too, and tremendous demand for asparagus. The pear market's been great for a while, but demand for apples is now also picking up. We had a generally nice Easter auction that offers perspective," Gerard concludes.
For more information:
John van der Zouwen
de Groot fresh group
Tel: +31 (0) 765 307 006
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.degrootfreshgroup.com
Jos Schonhage
G. Schönhage & Zn.
Food Center, 14 Jan van Galen Street
1051 KM, Amsterdam, NL
Tel: (0) 206 822 674
Email: [email protected]
Gerard van den Anker
Veiling Zaltbommel
28 Stationsweg
5301 KH, Zaltbommel, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 418 579 911
Email: [email protected]