Nantes is the number one producer of Lamb’s lettuce in France and represents around 80-85 per cent of production in France. The lettuce is hugely popular in Germany but plans are now afoot to increase sendings and, in due course, demand in the UK.
The cultivation of Lamb’s lettuce, or Mâche as it is known in France, has risen considerably since the mid-1980s. In 1985, production across France was around 5,000 tonnes, while this year production is tipped to top 25,000t.
Chairman of the Lamb’s lettuce national committee Olivier de Grandmaison, who farms 100 hectares of the lettuce in Nantes, attributes the growth in production to two factors. “The lettuce is grown in sand and in the past it had been difficult to remove the small grains from the leaves. But machinery has been developed to do this through a vigorous washing process,” he says. “The second reason for the explosion in growth was found in the early 1990s, when a way to mechanise production was found and the crop no longer needed to be handpicked.”
Volumes of the product have also increased naturally over time. It has risen as the region’s production of carrots has fallen. De Grandmaison explains: “Carrot production was in small units in Nantes compared to the Bordeaux region, and it ceased to become commercially viable to continue. The region now has 300 producers of Lamb’s lettuce, growing on around 4,000-5,000ha and with the market for pre-packed salad growing demand for Lamb’s lettuce is expected to continue on an upward curve.”
Originally Lamb’s lettuce was perceived in France as a salad of autumn, winter and spring. The product could not be kept for summer, as it would not survive. However, with the emergence in popularity of bagged salad, it can be kept in cold stores in this format. De Grandmaison says: “The concept of the bagged salad range has been increasing steadily and Lamb’s lettuce now has year-round availability.”
Nantes produces around 50 per cent of the total production of Lamb’s lettuce around the globe, competition is emerging from Germany, Italy and Belgium. “Germany is the main competitor, although they don’t have the sandy conditions for the product to thrive in, they are developing all the time,” says de Grandmaison, “but Germany are not able to produce the product all year-round.”
Producers in France have targeted the UK as a market which they are looking to diversify into. De Grandmaison explains: “We see the UK as an important area for future growth. We began a three-year marketing campaign in 1997 in the UK, which ran until 2000. We then began a second marketing campaign in 2001, which focused on consumers and their interest in the product, and there is a rise in demand due to the continued success of bagged salads. In 1997 we exported around 300-400t, whereas this year we are expecting this figure to reach between 900-1,000t. Lamb’s lettuce can be mainly found in pre-packed mixed salad bags.”
However, Lamb’s lettuce can be found as a stand-alone product in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, but according to the growers it is very expensive. Growers would like to see lower prices in store in a bid to establish the product with the consumer. De Grandmaison explains: “In France consumers buy 150gm pack of Lamb’s lettuce, while in the UK it is available in 40gm packs. As growers we believe it would be better to increase the pack size to around 80gm. We want to see Lamb’s lettuce developed as a single product and get UK consumers interested in it as a product. UK consumers are big into convenience, and it is an easy product to prepare, this can help to boost its place within the market.”
The issue of convenience is much more prevalent in the UK than in France. De Grandmaison explains: “The pre-packed market in France forms around 30 per cent of the total market, while in the UK this figure is much higher, around 75-80 per cent. The product is also incredibly versatile, and it can be cooked with, so in turn this provides a different offering.”
The drive to increase awareness of Lamb’s lettuce in the UK has seen it being given to chefs to see what they think of the product. De Grandmaison says: “Last year we had many chefs who liked the product but as we go through the wholesale markets there is a problem in finding the adequate cold store facilities. This year to raise awareness in the wholesale markets we visited 11 sites with our very own Miss Mâche - with a first prize available to wholesalers of a weekend break in the Loire Valley.
“We are hoping to create demand for increased volumes into restaurants and the catering sector. With chefs also keen to use the product, this will hopefully raise the pressure upon the wholesale market to take it.”
Nantes growers are in a strong position to help push future growth. De Grandmaison says: “There are several factors that are essential for good production. These are sandy soil, good soil composition with no acidity and the correct know-how in terms of getting the best from the product. Some growing areas can fulfil a couple of this criteria, but will struggle to find all of them. Nantes is the only place that can produce the large volumes that are required, while Germany produces around 8,000t a year, it admits that it cannot get decent qualities all year-round and can only grow from September to November.”
Bernard Guery, chairman of the French salad national committee and vice-chairman of the Val de Loire committee, explained the importance of traceability in the process of Lamb’s lettuce moving from field to store. The Val Nantais packhouse shows the detail involved in getting a fully traceable product to the retailer. Guery says: “When the lettuce arrives from the field, each tray immediately gets a number, so the producer can be traced. Each pallet also receives a barcode, so it can be traced back to the field.
“The sand from the Loire tends to stay between the leaves, so on entering the packhouse the lettuce is washed and re-washed in three different stages to remove the sand. The lettuce is put into a sparkling water bath into which air is injected. Mounting to the surface, thousands of little air bubbles delicately separate the Lamb’s lettuce leaves freeing the grains of sand. At the busiest period 1t of the lettuce goes through the washing stage every hour.”
Consumers who are interested in where the produce originated from, can visit the Val Nantais website for further information. Guery explains: “By entering the batch code on their pre-packed salad, consumers can see exactly which farm the lettuce came from. Also, the packaging used is clear so the consumer can get a good look at the lettuce and be sure they are getting a quality product.”
The Loire Valley Committee, represents the fruit and vegetable industry in the region. It consists of 13 sectors of vegetables and four sectors of fruit. The committee sees Lamb’s lettuce as the most important product of the region and is looking to work hard to get it into the minds of UK consumers. Guery says: “The Loire region is already in the mind of UK consumers. It is an historic region, famed for its castles and wines. The Loire is seen as the garden of France, the region is able to grow quality produce due to its position and we now want Lamb’s lettuce to be synonymous with the Loire area.”
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