Growing strawberries with taste, vision and pride

Added on 16 April 2025

Taste over kilos

“We consciously choose varieties that excel in taste, not in productivity,” says Robbe. In the 1.25 hectare glass greenhouse and 5,000 m² plastic greenhouse, 350,000 plants are planted annually, good for a production of 150 tons of strawberries. The varieties Elsanta, Sonsation, Karima and Parlando have all been selected for firmness, long shelf life and above all taste. “Our customers know what they come back for,” says Robbe. “We hear that every day via our strawberry vending machines.”

Directly from grower to customer

These vending machines, now at three locations, have been a household name in the region for twelve years. What started as a new idea to deliver directly to consumers, grew into a fully-fledged sales channel. “We now see that consumers have become much more critical. They can taste the difference. Our vending machines guarantee that the strawberry goes from plant to customer within 24 hours.” Approximately 10% of the harvest goes through the strawberry vending machines, the rest is marketed through the BelOrta cooperative. The strawberries are sold there the next morning. But what happens after that is beyond their control: the strawberries go via distribution centres and intermediaries to the supermarket, where they often first end up in the warehouse before they reach the shelves. “In this way, strawberries are sometimes on the road for a week – and you can taste that. A shame, as far as I'm concerned. I believe it can be done faster and better.”