The European Brussels sprout market has had a lousy run-up to the hectic Christmas week. "The frost, which held the whole of the Brussels sprout-growing Europe in its grip, was quite unfortunate, timing-wise. Growers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom couldn't harvest much, if at all. Luckily the next few days' forecast looks a bit better," says Menno Molenaar of the Dutch company, Fresh2You.
"We're coming out of a supply market. That's not been easy in recent weeks. A couple of weeks ago, there seemed to be nothing going on, but, it turns out, shortages can occur quite suddenly. The Brussels sprouts market usually picks up toward the end of this week. But we find ourselves having to regularly turn buyers away now already."
"We're getting demand from everywhere - the Netherlands, the U. K., even Greece. Current prices are well up, but that doesn't help if you have no product. Now, first and foremost, you have to try and serve your regular customers as well as possible," explains Menno.
He adds that Brussels sprouts remain a hit on Christmas menus. "Here, England takes the crown, but during the Christmas holidays, this product is as popular as ever in other countries too."
"That's even truer now that people have less purchasing power." Menno continues, "But people still want to serve a tasty yet healthy and affordable meal."
"And since Brussels sprouts aren't a luxury item, you get real 'value for money. The great thing is that we have crops in several countries, so we can provide our clients with Brussels sprouts all year round. In the Netherlands, we're in mid-season and are already counting down, but in Africa, the last sprouts have just been planted," Menno concludes.
