After months of waiting, the Breton mini-vegetables, usually available all year round, are back on the market. Pouliquen, distributor of the Prince de Bretagne brand, takes stock of the campaign following the weather incidents that hit Brittany this year.
© L'Oeil de Paco
© L'Oeil de Paco
An "exceptional" campaign
This year's production of mini-vegetables was rather "exceptional". Last November, the coast of Brittany was hit hard by storm Ciaran. Extensive damage was recorded on farms, "especially in the cold greenhouses in which mini-vegetables are grown. They had been completely ripped out and bent, so growers had to wait several months for the repairs to be completed. Today, our partner growers have finally been able to start harvesting," explains Emmanuelle Bosser, export sales manager at Pouliquen. The break lasted almost 5 months, at a time when sales of mini-vegetables usually are at their peak during the festive season.
In 2023, the Prince de Bretagne growers produced 127 tons of mini carrots, mini turnips, mini red beets, mini yellow beets, mini Chioggia beets, mini leeks, mini fennels and 1,130,000 heads of mini white cauliflower, mini Romanesco, mini fennel, mini green apple cabbage, mini red cabbage, mini purple cauliflower, mini green cauliflower, mini orange cauliflower / © Cook'licot
© Prince de Bretagne
Growing demand
Mini-vegetables continue to gain in popularity. Produced from small-sized varieties or as a result of a specific production method (planting density), mini-vegetables are harvested by hand at an early stage, which guarantees their tenderness. "It is their taste qualities and aesthetic appeal that are so attractive to the gastronomic sector in France and abroad."
© L'Oeil de Paco
For more information:
Pouliquen
Phone: +33 2 98 19 51 00
[email protected]
pouliquen.fr