Dutch supplier Aartsenfruit has signed a deal to become the major supplier of Bimi broccoli to the Benelux region wholesale markets.
Master licensor Coregeo, which gained the rights for Bimi in Europe earlier this year, said that the partnership will see new fully-branded packaging launch across the Benelux wholesale sector. Bimi broccoli is known and marketed as Tenderstem in the UK.
“We know the value of the wholesale market and have seen major growth within this sector in the UK for Tenderstem,” said Coregeo chief marketing officer, Michelle Toft. “Branding and packaging will play a key role in our marketing strategy. We also understand the value of the catering and restaurant market for this brand.”
Jasper van der Sandt, of Aartsenfruit, said: “After seeing the value of the brand and potential growth opportunities we recently became a licensee of Bimi. Having a previous knowledge of the product we were able to call up our wide network of contacts across Europe to secure a deal that sees Aartsenfruit become the first Bimi licensee to provide a continuous year-round supply of European-grown Bimi to our suppliers.”
Toft added: “We’re excited about the prospects for the Bimi brand across Europe and it’s made all the more exciting when you get to work with a truly dedicated team like the one at Aartsenfruit. We know that clear branding will play a key role in meeting our growth targets and we’ll be launching the partnership with Aartsenfruit with new fully-branded Bimi packaging across wholesale.”
Coregeo has seen year-on-year double-digit growth of Tenderstem since it began working with brand owner Sakata in 2005.
