Month: June 2024

From wraps to kimchi
Sauerkraut may be on the decline, but its consumption has been stable for years.

The way we eat sauerkraut is changing: from stew to an oven dish, as a side dish, or in a salad. “A new, young target group has discovered the health benefits of fermented products. That gives cabbage a boost.

Large part of cabbage for industry

The majority of red cabbage goes to the processing industry. They end up cut into vegetable packets or pre-cooked in jars. About 70% of white cabbage goes to processing plants and other processors. This is preferably done as soon as possible after harvest, according to Maarten Danenberg, product manager of Hazera. The remaining 30% of the white cabbage in the Netherlands ends up on the shelf in its entirety. That proportion is higher with pointed cabbage, says Danenberg: “Pointed cabbage is easier to cut in your own kitchen. And we’re seeing more and more recipes with half or a quarter of pointed cabbage, pan-fried or grilled on the barbecue.”

Hazera’s pointed cabbages Regency & Dutchman

Pointed cabbage is one of the head cabbages that is clearly growing in volume, Danenberg observes: “Not spectacular; a few percent per year. But that increase has been going on for about twenty years.” The development is coming from the United Kingdom, especially to the Netherlands and Germany.” Popular varieties at Hazera are Regency and Dutchman (for summer cultivation) and Marshal (storage). We also see growth in our flat cabbage varieties like Callaway & Catelya for Central Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.

Brassica breeding is part of Hazera’s heritage

It originated with development of varieties for Western Europe, but today we are a global player with a wide assortment of purpose specific varieties. Our Research and Breeding teams are closely connected to our global network of subsidiaries and distributors, through whom we are in touch with the latest industry trends and preferred requirements within the various Brassica crops.

At Hazera, we are proud of our dedicated team, which works passionately to provide our growers with the best products. While our products often grab the headlines, it is the Hazera team who are behind our success. Let’s shine the spotlight on Bertus De Ruiter from Barendrecht, the Netherlands, who plays a vital role in our organization.

Bertus was working as a vegetable cutter before joining Hazera. He started working as an all-round employee at the plant and over the years became a plant manager. After working for Hazera for 44 years, Bertus retired. However, there is a fun twist to his story. He came back to work for a few extra months to support the new colleagues in our plant.

In your opinion, what is the most important personality trait someone would need to have to work in your industry?

“Time management is very important because the customers are waiting for their orders and that means a lot of work in a very short time for us in the plant. We have a lot of steps in preparing the orders for shipment, which require precision and good team work as well.”.

Tell us about a project you’re proud of and why.

“I am proud of the orders being on time and being good. As I mentioned, it can be a quite hectic job with a lot of steps in between to do right and a lot of people to work together with. Especially now, we have a lot of new colleagues who need a little support. So, I though, I could come back and mentor them a little bit, help them learn the process and I am happy that it is going well.”

What does “Hazera- Growing Together” mean to you?

“I think Hazera is a great company. It supports its employees’ well-being, but also works hard to meet the expectations of its customers. I work in the plant.” Bertus stops for a moment. “Or worked… but I am in contact with colleagues from other departments as well and I see and hear how hard they work. And I think it is appreciated.”

Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know.

“I do not really have a hobby. I like to work. I am here for a short while, but then I will have to look for a hobby for myself.” Bertus laughs. “I like food and it might be funny that I work with vegetable seeds, but I am not keen on vegetables.”

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