Herbs are not merely a seasoning; they also create an experience. The Dutch start-up, the LIF Group, is using herb towers to capitalize on this. They work with W&L Groenservice, which supplies potted herbs for the towers. "We can deliver about 50 species of herbs along with a range of edible flowers. The mint varieties are very popular in the private market. 'Common' herbs, like basil, chives, oregano, and such, are always in demand too," says Ard-Jan Bluemink of LIF Group.
LIF-Group: Harm, Marnix en Ard-Jan
"In restaurants, the edible flowers display particularly nicely. They're very decorative, of course, but sometimes taste surprising too. We like teaching and inspiring people about herbs. Then it's great that there's so much to offer. You can place many different types of herbs in our herb tower, which maintains them. So, users always have fresh herbs 'at their fingertips'."
W&L Groenservice's top ten best-selling herbs are mint, dill, thyme, rosemary, basil, lemon balm, helichrysum, oregano, parsley, and edible flowers. "Mint has the most potential with consumers and is widely used for tea. We sell to the retail channel, especially garden centers," Ard-Jan explains.
"Visually attractive herbs are increasingly replacing terrace or balcony bedding. People then have a beautiful product that's useful too. We're getting more and more interest from people for recognizable, easy-to-use herbs. They want to be able to do something with them right away, without having to follow complicated recipes."
"We make no health claims when we sell our fresh herbs. Still, they're undoubtedly considered good for your health and we try to make people aware of that. You have to think carefully about how you use the herbs. It's vital to use them preventively, which is an increasingly popular trend. It's great that using herbs not only enhances something's flavor but contributes to a healthier lifestyle too. The time has, thus, come to reconnect nature and food. We must become aware of what we eat and what the earth offers,″ Ard-Jan concludes.
Ard-Jan Bluemink
LIF Group
ajbluemink@lifgroup.nl
www.lifgroup.nl