Lychees have long ceased to be a niche product, according to Helmut Bienek, Managing Director of Bienek Fruchthandels. "Lychees and cherries are becoming increasingly popular, especially at Christmas. The lychees are flown in from South Africa. The quality is very good and the prices are reasonable. Interest in lychees is very high at Christmas time. They are also more in demand than products such as papayas and the like. We are currently sourcing cherries from Chile in sizes 32-34+, which are top quality, which was not the case last year. The price level is comparable to last year. We are also seeing good, stable demand for cherries." Restaurants and hotels have also shown great interest in the range of mini vegetables from South Africa.
The brothers and co-managing directors of Bienek Fruchthandels GmbH: Helmut Bienek and Gerhard Bienek-Nies at their stand at the Munich wholesale market
"Apart from South Africa, lychees are also available by air from Mauritius and by sea from Mauritius, Madagascar and other countries. The airfreighted products are of better quality and taste. However, it is still a seasonal product. Of course, there are also months when there are no more lychees. In any case, the fruit is now a standard product and has been in our range for years." Bienek received the first deliveries of lychees around two weeks ago.
The demand for cherries was high this year, which Bienek attributed to the relatively low cherry harvest. "Volumes and quality were heavily affected by the weather. There were not many good cherries, which is why demand was high. We are currently offering Chilean cherries, which are again of very good quality. Demand remains high. Cherries have almost become a year-round product."
The wholesaler described the 2023 financial year as very mixed: "The year was characterized by a reluctance to buy due to inflation, staff shortages and bottlenecks as well as customer insolvencies. However, we are confident and hope for good Christmas business."
For more information:
Helmut Bienek
Bienek Fruchthandels GmbH
Großmarkthalle 4 - Stand 92/93
Schäftlarnstraße 10
81371 München
Tel.: +49 89 74653674
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bienekfruchthandel