Dutch mushroom giant Banken Mushrooms has stepped up its attempts to move its product out of the commodity zone with the launch of Champi Cuisine, a pack made up of three portabellas and packet of herbs for the convenience market.
Rob Banken said that the company is looking to develop exclusive arrangements for the product across Europe, including the UK. "People are looking for mushroom products with a difference, and we have that," he said. "We would like to launch Champi Cuisine in the UK with one of the big supermarket chains. We are also developing our offer to the foodservice sector, and that is an area where we expect to see expansion in the near future."
UK and Irish mushroom producers are having a well-documented struggle in the price-driven marketplace and Banken said that many retailers see Dutch as the obvious choice. The company also has newly opened facilities near Poznan in Poland, and the combination of sources allows it to exercise economies of scale and extend its portfolio. "We benefit from a very strong home market in Holland," he said. "We also have our own transport, which is a huge advantage when working with mushrooms."
The days of central European sourcing by retail chains are upon us, and Banken feels this can only offer more opportunities to companies like his own. "Of course this can save the retailers money, but it is also very interesting for the supplier," he said.
No comments yet