In the greenhouse of growers Richard and Marcel van de Knaap, Gautiers varieties are on display on 450 plots with a total acreage of 2,200 square meters. "In order to conduct our trials in a realistic greenhouse climate, our trials are in between Rimato's own crop; we hired a small section of their 15 hectare greenhouse," said Yvo. "The crop is being monitored the entire year, and the harvest is on display at our tables inside the greenhouse during the entire cultivation period. This gives a realistic impression of the varieties presentational capacities and shelf life. Everybody is welcome to pay a visit any time of the year."
After the introduction of their Piccolo variety, Gautier Semences made a name as being a singular seed breeder that distinguished itself by coming up with tasty varieties. "Taste and quality is very important for us, we do not mind that this is, to a slight extent, at the cost of production," said Yvo. This strategy didn't harm Gautier at all; their Piccolo variety is recognized worldwide as one of the tastiest varieties; Dutch grower Jos Looije made it famous in the Netherlands as "Honingtomaat" (honey tomato).
"Consumers and retail are looking for taste more and more, which is endorsed by the fact many retailers from the UK and France paid a visit to our trial greenhouse to scout the latest developments," said Yvo. "However, despite our focus being on taste and quality, we also still have nice alternatives for growers that just want a better tomato and still want to obtain a good production."
