This winter, the Belgian auction of Mechlin, which is part of the LAVA group of auctions, is engaging in a campaign to persuade consumers to buy home-grown seasonal vegetables.

During the autumn half-term holiday, the auction treated visitors at two of the country’s zoos to traditional winter soups made with such vegetables.

“Opting for home-grown seasonal vegetables not only saves you money, but also helps reduce your ecological footprint – not to mention the fact that quality and freshness are guaranteed,” said Bert Stas, the auction’s marketing and communication manager.

The auction is equally committed to promoting a number of “forgotten vegetables”, such as winter radishes, parsnips and kohlrabi, and has gained the support of a number of top restaurant chefs in this endeavour.

“There’s growing interest within the restaurant business,” explained Mr Stas. “Thanks to top chefs, these forgotten vegetables are being rediscovered.”

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