Recently, Hamburg has gained a new point of contact for Greek fruit and vegetables. "Everyone is welcome at our new warehouse, whether wholesale or private customers," says Georgios Tsekouras, owner of the new cash & carry market and managing director of Fresh Line Imports. A wide range of fruit and vegetables from the gardens of Greece awaits the various buyers.
© Fresh Line Imports GmbH
The facade of the new cash & carry market.
Tsekouras has been importing fruit and vegetables directly from all of Greece's major growing areas since 2015. "We currently offer a wide selection of seasonal vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, pointed and bell peppers, broccoli, iceberg lettuce, and mixed lettuce. Similar to last year, we are in direct competition with cheap vegetables of Spanish origin. With price differences of up to 10 to 20 percent, it is sometimes extremely difficult to keep up in terms of price." Meanwhile, quantities and qualities are satisfactory, thanks in particular to long-term contracts with exporters and producers at the source, the Greece specialist continues.
© Fresh Line Imports GmbH
Vegetable products of Greek origin from the Anatoli quality brand.
"Greek tomatoes continue to enjoy high demand," Tsekouras continues. "Here, too, we offer a wide range, with beef tomatoes being the most in-demand, followed by loose tomatoes. On the other hand, vine tomatoes of Greek origin are less in demand, which is also because this type of tomato is hardly used in Greek cuisine and is therefore less available on the domestic market."
© Fresh Line Imports GmbH
Insight into the company's broad vegetable portfolio. Clockwise: cucumbers, pointed peppers, iceberg lettuce, and bell peppers from the gardens of Greece.
Good citrus and kiwi season
Meanwhile, Tsekouras also offers its customers seasonal fruits, such as kiwis and citrus fruits. "Some kiwi exporters have already withdrawn from the market, while others will continue until well into April. All in all, we can look back on a good season, and we have noticed that export volumes are increasing every year. Juice oranges, including the Valencia variety, are available from November until late summer of the following year. Due to the weather, the quality this year was very convincing, that is, the Brix values have been higher than ever since the start of the season."
Nevertheless, the high demands sometimes cause problems for the Greek export industry. Tsekouras: "In contrast to Germany, the appearance of the product is less important in Greece, but rather the taste. Unfortunately, this also means that Greek products are sometimes less likely to be found in German food retailing. With Greek juice oranges, for example, there may be a few more skin blemishes in the last phase of the season, i.e., in late summer, although the taste is still excellent even during this period. Unfortunately, in this country, the appearance and shelf life of the respective product are the deciding factors across the range."
Crisp, fresh tomatoes, and broccoli on ice.
Expansion of the product range
The Greek specialist has now set himself the goal of gradually expanding the variety of products in his warehouse sales and thus attracting more customers. "We will probably not offer products that are more risky, such as asparagus and strawberries, until next year. But I am also keen to add lesser-known items such as avocados from the sun-drenched island of Crete to our portfolio in the future. It is also worth mentioning that a generational change is now imminent at many Greek producers. We are in the fortunate position of having many young, passionate, and innovative producers who want to take over their parents' businesses. In this respect, I see the future of Greek agriculture quite positively," he concludes.
Photo credit: Fresh Line Imports
For more information:
Georgios Tsekouras
Fresh Line Imports GmbH
Kronsaalsweg 45
22525 Hamburg-Stellingen
Tel: +49 (0)162 4908040
info@freshlineimports.de
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