According to various university studies, watercress has proven to be the food with the most nutritional value. It has more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than oranges and more iron than spinach, and it has many other properties that ensure the rapid recovery of athletes after exercise or reduce the metastasis of various cancers, according to the universities of Belfast and Southampton.
John Fitt, manager of Royalcress S.A.
The popularity of watercress is huge in the United Kingdom, and its consumption is on the rise in Scandinavia, Portugal, the Netherlands or France, among others. In Spain, this vegetable, grown in running water, is still largely unknown, although it could soon cease to be so, according to John Fitt, manager of Royalcress, an English-owned company with production farms in Jerez de la Frontera, in the Spanish province of Cádiz.
“Watercress has been a traditional consumer product in the UK for two centuries. In the 80's, with the rise of large-scale distribution, supermarket chains sought to have the same products all year round. That is why The Watercress Company (parent company) came to Spain in 1986 in search of the best area in which to produce watercress throughout the year. Although at first it was difficult to find places with sufficient quality water for this crop, they finally found an area in Cádiz at the foot of the Sierra de Grazalema, which has the most rainfall in Spain. Later, in the late 90's, the company bought a farm in Florida, in the United States, in order to increase the supply in the winter months. Now we have production in the United Kingdom for 6 months in spring and summer, in the United States from November to April and in Spain all year round.”
Although this company, the first to produce organic watercress, was created for the British market, it started to diversify its markets in 2007 so as not to depend on a single market. “In Spain, there are only three production companies with foreign capital. Since there are so few of us in this sector, each one of us obtains their own seeds. We are the only ones that are able to produce watercress all year round while maintaining quality and supply, so we are selling to other producers in the UK, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Belgium,” says John Fitt.
"Naturally, we also sell the product directly to food companies in Scandinavia, especially organic watercress, while in Portugal we are achieving great success in terms of volumes and sales continuity, having closed contracts to supply the country's two main supermarket chains, Continente and Pingo Doce, which account for more than 50% of the country's market share. Our objective is to achieve something similar in Spain, where we would need to be present in at least six supermarket chains in order to reach that 50% market share.”
In the United Kingdom, watercress is more often consumed in the summer, as an ingredient for salads and smoothies, while in Portugal and the Canary Islands it is usually cooked, especially in stews.
"In peninsular Spain, its consumption is practically non-existent, although sales of land cress are growing. In fact, we have shared lots of recipes with watercress on our social networks and we have received messages from people interested in purchasing the product, asking where to find it, since this is practically impossible in Spain. Our strategy is to rely on the argument of its high nutritional benefits and its flavor to promote the product in Spain. The taste of watercress brings a spicy touch to traditional dishes such as omelettes, salads, cream soups, sauces, etc.,” says the manager of Royalcress. "We hope that watercress will end up succeeding in Spain in the fresh cut segment, competing with other vegetables, such as arugula, lamb's lettuce, etc."
In Spain, the company has 19 hectares devoted to watercress production spread over two farms in Jerez, with a supply capacity of 1.1 million kilos, 25% of which is organic certified by the CAAE. It is the largest producer in Europe. The list of supermarket chains collaborating with Royalcress includes Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Albert Heijn, Continente and Pingo Doce.
For more information:
John Fitt
Royalcress S.A.
Carretera Estella a Torre Melgarejo Km. 1
11593 Jerez de la Frontera
Cádiz - Spain
T: +34 956155 260
[email protected]
www.royalcress.es