Belgian strawberry exports to the UK are on the up, according to Hoogstraten’s Jan Engelen, who also has high hopes for specialty tomatoes like Miss Perfect and San Marzano
In the past, Belgium was an important supplier of strawberries year-round to the UK market. Then came a boom in local production, which limited the opportunities for imports during particular periods. By the time of the Brexit referendum in 2016, the market for Belgian strawberries had declined considerably, and given the result of the vote, many suppliers feared the worst. Yet what actually transpired was a complete reversal of their fortunes.
“Since Brexit, we have been sending larger and larger volumes of strawberries to the UK,” reveals Jan Engelen of Hoogstraten. “Our exports to the UK are no longer year-round, with volumes concentrated in certain periods of the year, but in the last three or four years, demand from the UK has grown, especially in the autumn and winter, even in the early spring. We’re receiving requests for us to prolong the season a little bit.”
What suppliers in Belgium are hearing is that strawberry production in the UK is tough at present, especially given issues surrounding labour availability and cost. “UK retailers are looking more to suppliers outside the UK,” notes Engelen. “It’s a real game changer, and I think there are more opportunities for us now. We will be more visible and present in the UK promoting our products, not just our strawberries, but some of our specialties on the vegetable side. Specialty tomatoes are becoming more and more important in the UK, with special varieties from Den Berk Délice and Tomeco gaining market share.”
One drawback for international suppliers in the UK market remains the lack of visibility of fresh produce brands. “I think private label is an issue in the UK,” says Engelen. “We currently have our strawberries selling in Sainsbury’s, but as a consumer you will not see the Hoogstraten brand. Maybe there will be an opportunity to change that in the future.”
A lot has changed in tomato selling over the years, according to Engelen. “In the beginning, everything we produced was sold by the clock,” he explains. “Now it’s a little different. We produce more on demand. We talk with our clients and organise year-long programmes, so there is less risk of having too much product or too little.”
Despite the market’s maturity, Engelen still sees huge potential for snacking tomatoes in the UK. “Every year or so, we invite our retail clients to take a deep dive together into the tomato business,” he says. “We supply a large part of Europe, and we see a lot of differences between the countries. If you look at a tomato shelf in the UK, there are big differences from a shelf in France or Norway or Germany. What we see in the UK is that there is still some room for improvement concerning snacking tomatoes. In loose cherry tomatoes, you see less variation. So the Miss Perfect tomato from Den Berk is definitely a very interesting product for the UK, as is San Marzano, the Italian plum variety.
“Tomatoes are a very good product for retailers. They’re a high runner, with large volumes moving, but sometimes there’s a little bit of innovation or presentation lacking. We are working on ideas to offer suggestions and inspiration about how it could look a bit different.”
