"Much work has gone into standardizing blackberries; that should be very helpful”

Research shows that 88% of Belgians do not buy blackberries. "It's, thus, a lesser-known product with great growth potential," says Miguel Demaeght, Head of the Fruit Division at BelOrta.

He points to the United Kingdom, where this soft fruit variety sells much better. And Canada, where 340 g packs of blackberries are commonplace. "There are certainly still opportunities, but effort is undoubtedly needed to realize them."

Larger packaging
One of the aspects BelOrta is exploring is volume per packaging. Though the standard package is 125 grams, Miguel notes the company had good small-scale experiences with 250g packs last year. "We want to keep drawing our customers' attention to the possibility of larger packaging," he says.

The best time to do this is when blackberries are abundant. "Blackberry cultivation doesn't have true production peaks, but from mid-June to mid-September, we have enough available to market them at competitive prices. That's the best time to switch to 250g packaging."

Offering the full soft fruit range - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, red currants, and gooseberries - as standard is another way BelOrta can highlight blackberries among its clients. "We never talk about a single species, always about all five. We call them the 'small five'. It doesn't always have to be the big five," Miguel says with a smile.

"We offer the small five. We think it's an advantage, especially in the Belgian season, to be able to offer the entire soft fruit range. These varieties don't outshine each other. Consumers don't buy redcurrants in favor of blueberries. They complement each other."

Newcomer
Regarding blackberries, BelOrta has recently focused mainly on the Loch Ness and Sweet Royalla varieties. This year, though, they are adding the new Bestum variety. "We have high hopes for it and are eagerly awaiting consumer response to this promising variety. We're looking into what people think of its flavor, sweetness, and acidity," explains Miguel.

That is important, he notes, since that flavor must meet consumer preferences, including that of the new generation. "We especially need to convince the next generation to eat blackberries. We know they've been raised on sweet flavors."

"So, we must think ahead. But because of the evolution towards sweeter blackberry varieties, we're sure the next generation – which is catching up in terms of healthy eating – won't have to say blackberries aren't tasty because they're sour," he concludes.

For more information:
Miguel Demaeght
BelOrta
Tel: +32 (0)15 55 11 11
miguel.Demaeght@belorta.be
info@belorta.be
www.belorta.be