Convenience products are more popular than ever. Particularly in the restaurant and hotel industry, which has been hit hard by Covid-19, there is a shortage of staff, which is why kitchens are increasingly turning to sliced or quick-to-prepare goods. Claus Lermer, managing director of Früchte Lermer Ltd & Co. from Siegsdorf, can confirm. He talks about the demand for Bavarian cress, organic sprouts, and wild herb salads, among other things.
Claus Lermer
Growth from topping with colorful cresses and sprouts
"Currently, the market is pretty normal. Bowls with trendy and fresh ingredients are particularly popular, for example. They range from avocado to shiitake mushrooms to topping with colorful cresses and organic sprouts in all variations. In addition to the Koppert Cress line, we also offer Bavarian cress. Sales of the cress mix in particular have snowballed enormously," says Lermer.
High demand for wild herb salads
"Apart from the cress, there is currently also a high demand for wild herb and baby leaf salads, which are ready-to-eat whole leaves. Our customers want ready-to-eat products that can be prepared quickly as many companies lack staff. Therefore, they prefer products that do not require much preparation but are still consistent and excellent in terms of mixture and quality. We also had higher sales of leaf salads, which are up over 30%."
Demand for convenience products was already relatively high before, but Corona has intensified the trend. The decisive factor, he says, is the freshness of the convenience goods and that they do not contain any preservatives or additives. Seasonality and regionality also play an important role here. "The demand for organic produce is also trending upward and steadily increasing in importance."
The availability of free-range produce has been very changeable this year, requiring some flexibility in procurement, Lermer said. Sometimes there were total failures of lettuce crops and thus shortages of goods.
For more information:
Claus Lermer
Früchte Lermer GmbH & Co. KG
Traunsteiner Str. 11
83313 Siegsdorf
Tel: +49 86 62 – 71 91
Fax: +49 86 62 – 1 28 84
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: https://www.lermer-siegsdorf.de