Whereas in the Scandinavian countries the proportion of herbs in pots still accounts for three quarters of the total herbal offer, in the Netherlands and the UK that category has to lose out to the cut product. ‘This is mainly to do with the convenience factor,’ states Marco de Jager (managing director of Vitacress Real). ‘We are also increasingly supplying the sliced version for the freshness packs that are delivered to homes or on the shelves at retail, also a product that belongs to the convenience segment.’

Vitacress Real, a joint venture between Gipmans Group and UK-based Vitacress - originally a watercress grower - grows, packs and markets fresh herbs and other natural seasonings such as lemongrass, samphire and fresh garlic. The packaging location is in Venlo, an excellent base as one of the major European hotspots for the AGF sector.

Total range of fresh herbs: pot and cut
Vitacress Real approaches the herb category from a total vision and therefore has pot herbs in its range, in addition to cut herbs. ‘Herb markets often originate from pots, which actually has everything to do with shelf life. With the roots in the ground, the herb retains its nutrition, which is handy for retail to be able to keep the product on the shelf for longer if demand falters for a while. But meanwhile, many varieties of cut herbs also last 10 days in the chilled chain. In the unrefrigerated chain, you can count on about five to six days. The advantage of cut herbs, of course, is that you don't have to take care of the plant and the product can go straight into the fridge, so you don't have to provide a special place for it.’

Nevertheless, according to Marco, there is still a place for potted herbs in the Netherlands, the UK and also Germany, a country making huge strides in the convenience trend, because there are always consumers who value the ornamental aspect and stock function because of the longer shelf life. ‘The herb that comes into its own best in pot is basil, not only because of the longer shelf life of this delicate herb, but also because it has to be stored above 10 degrees and therefore cannot be kept in the fridge. In Dutch retail, more than half of basil, a very accessible product in terms of flavour and also popular because it is linked to Italian dishes, is sold in pots.’

In the cut assortment in retail, mint, parsley and coriander are the top sellers, followed by basil and celery. In meal boxes, basil and coriander are the most prescribed herbs in recipes.

Summer and winter cultivation
In the Netherlands, Vitacress Real grows almost all herbs outdoors from May to October. ‘And whereas we used to get basil from Sicily and Spain, we now prefer to grow it in the greenhouse close to home, because there are often quality issues during transport for this sensitive product. In winter, we do bring the herbs that we grow in the open field here in summer from Italy and Spain, where they also grow in the open field and partly under tunnels, in order to spread the risks, because there, too, they face a cold front once every few years. In this way, we ensure year-round European availability.’

Because winter in southern Europe is fresher than summer in the Netherlands anyway, different varieties are grown there. ‘They have to be varieties that grow a little harder at those lower temperatures. From the south, the herbs arrive here already cut, in 5-kilo crates. We then do another bit of sorting and finally packaging.’

Spreading risk
To cushion the blows of climate change, Vitacress Real is doing geographical risk diversification, including outside the Mediterranean. ‘Whereas we used to work with two dominant regions in Western Europe, we have now deliberately selected five regions, each approximately 500 km apart: The Netherlands, northern Germany, western Germany, southern Germany and France. Storms, as we had here at the end of July last year, are often localised and so we always try to have a place in that wide range where good quality can be harvested.’ Due to climate change, Marco says summer crops in these five areas may start a little earlier and also continue a little longer. ‘Certainly France can deliver mint as early as April, whereas that harvest used to start only in May.’

Cooperation with other growers on a programme basis
Almost 90% of the herbs marketed by Vitacress Real are from its own cultivation or from growers with whom it has long-term agreements. This allows it to offer partners continuity, but also to enforce compliance with quality and environmental care requirements. The remaining 10% is sourced additionally on the open market, when its own production is not sufficiently available at any given time.

‘Often our partners are lettuce growers. The combination with herb cultivation is useful for crop rotation, so the soil is not depleted. Moreover, herbs always leave behind some green material, which can be seen as a soil fertiliser, and multiple harvests are possible. Herb cultivation thus offers several advantages, but also requires a certain specialism. If, as a lettuce grower, you think you can just add herbs on top, you may choke. Several growers have tried it, but left just as quickly,’ Marco explains.

Mechanical harvesting is possible, but there are limitations
A number of herbs can be harvested by machine just like babyleaf, according to the managing director. ‘Certain parsley varieties lend themselves well to this, provided the beds are nice and even. Yet with machine-harvested product, not all the stalks are on one side and the leaves on the other side in the pack, which, however, is a requirement for some retailers. So depending on the product, the crop and the customer, we can deploy machines in the harvest, which of course saves money from a labour point of view.’

Growth potential
The consumption of spices varies from country to country, not only in volume, but also in types. ‘In the Mediterranean, spices are an essential part of the cuisine. Yet herbs are also on the rise in Western Europe due to the popularity of exotic dishes. Those who cook Italian add a leaf of basil, those who opt for Asian think of coriander. In the Netherlands, we have also fully embraced mint tea, while Germany is slightly more traditional. There, parsley for soup is still often put in the shopping basket.’

Herbs, however, are a category where there is still a lot of growth potential, according to Marco. ‘About 50% of households buy herbs once a year, while mushrooms and other less common vegetables far exceed 80%. And those consumers who do put herbs in the basket slightly more often do so on average once every two months, while many vegetables are consumed weekly or fortnightly. So both the market penetration figures and the frequency of purchases point to the potential for further growth.’

Meal boxes as a stepping stone to higher consumption
In this sense, the popularity of fresh food boxes may give the category a boost. ‘During the corona period, meal box subscriptions from home delivery companies took off. Now supermarkets have actually kind of taken over that segment. Certain retailers have a decent range of meal boxes. It started with a basic range, including lasagne, now it's possible to find up to 50 different fresh food packages. And exactly spices can give that twist to make that flavour palette very broad.’

Just under half of the dishes at the market leader in home delivery meal boxes in the Netherlands contain herbs, according to Marco. ‘We also provide suppliers with freshness packages, mainly because of our experience with herbs in the unrefrigerated chain, as shelf life is an important factor in this segment. And because we are also automated in portioning packages, we can easily supply the really small portions of between 5 and 20 grams. And our bigger ambition is to increase the market penetration of herbs through the freshness packs, because once you have tasted it in the meal boxes, you are also more likely to put a portion of pre-cut coriander or basil in pot in the shopping trolley in the shop,’ Marco concludes.