"Winter vegetables are reaching their end, and consumers are more in the mood for salads, especially when it's sunny. So the demand for lettuce is picking up again," begins Olivier Dejonghe of Dejonghe Salads, a Belgian family business that focuses on processing its lettuce into ready-to-eat products. He says the winter months are usually calmer regarding lettuce sales, except for the holidays at the end of the year. "Our seasons are spring and summer; we're busiest from Easter until late October." Olivier sees that the recent years' prolonged, beautiful autumn weather has positively affected lettuce demand.
Olivier Dejonghe
He adds that ready-to-eat salad sales also increase annually. "It grows a few percent every year," says Olivier. That, he reckons, is down to rising restaurant attendance and the labor shortage in the hospitality industry. "More and more, especially young people, eat out more often during the week, so the eateries are fuller. Yet, those establishments are increasingly struggling to find staff to, say, clean and chop salad."
Local supermarkets
Dejonghe Salads sells about 90% of its lettuce to the hospitality sector. Olivier notices that those companies are placing last-minute orders more often. This salad processor has, thus, tailored its service to that. He expects the hospitality industry to remain their largest outlet. "For lettuce, retail usually works with large processors that purchase the products centrally. Local supermarkets can offer a little produce besides that central one. So, we supply lettuce to some local retailers who buy our lettuce to differentiate themselves from other stores by offering something different from industrial products," says Dejonghe.
Whereas most Dejonhge Salads sales concern mixes, Olivier notes butterhead lettuce demand is undiminished. "That market for restaurants or sandwich stores that like using and appreciate the softness of this lettuce variety remains." The company processes butterhead lettuce in the traditional way. "We tear the leaves, as is tradition, by hand. The finished product is, thus, vein-free. That part discolors first. That's a lot of work, but there's a market for it," he says.
Mixed colors
So, primarily mixes, then, of which, Olivier admits, color is an essential aspect. "There must be some color. In addition to yellow curly endive, we use red and green lettuce varieties." Here, open-field summer hydroponic cultivation is an advantage. "That not only strengthens the lettuce and makes it more storable but also brightens its color. When you grow lettuce under glass, they're less brightly colored. The red varieties are then not a dark red but somewhat brownish. You want something eye-catching, and then, a brighter red hue is nicer," Olivier points out.
In the summer, part of the cultivation is done outdoors on racks, while winter growing is done in full soil in a greenhouse. And that is precisely where the challenges lie, he reckons. "The requirements around fertilizers and crop protection are getting noticeably stricter. Unpredictable weather, though, increasingly comes into play. The crop is ready earlier than planned, especially if it's warmer than normal."
"That can create a gap until the new harvest and you're sometimes left with too much or too little volume. And suppose the crop is disappointing due to cold weather. Then, harvesting might be delayed, which is tricky for specific winter varieties unsuited to growing in spring weather," Olivier concludes, adding that it is precisely these kinds of things that keep the job exciting.
Olievier Dejonghe
Dejonghe Salads
Bultekostraat 4
8840 Westrozebeke
[email protected]
www.dejonghesalads.be