Ranfru currently has 25 people working on getting the orders for stewed pears to the customers. “December means a lot of activity. There are a surprising number of promotional actions this year, and we have even more activity than last year,” says Gijsbert van Randwijk. The fruit cultivator is specialised in the cultivation of the Dutch cooking pears, Gieser Wildeman and Saint Rémy.
Twenty years ago he started with the traditional preparation of cooking pears and related fruits. The company peels, stews and packs the pears so that they are either ready for the pot or ready to be served. The processing of fresh cooking apples is also part of the daily production process.
“Everything leaves here already cooked. We do not focus on the unpeeled market. Supermarkets are an important market, but health care institutions and meal manufactures also use the stewed pears,” says Van Randwijk. “As a specialist and market leader, we are good at responding to specific requests. For example, we make recipes with red wine sauces. We will also introduce new pear concepts again in the new year.”
According to the cultivator, the supply of cooking pears is large enough. “We have a lot of work during these weeks, but we already anticipated that.” Stewed pears are still very popular, according to the cultivator, but demand is becoming more seasonal. “We are naturally happy with the good demand around Christmas, but there are plenty of opportunities to supply year-round. And if you have eaten cold stewed pears with custard or ice cream, you will know what I mean!”
