More and more farmers with their products directly to the catering industry

In addition, there are also some West Flemish products that have won world prizes.

“We are going to harvest the hops from the farmers. With 15 people on the field. About 10 cm will end up on your plate as a culinary gadget and we will use the rest that is slightly more fibrous, but with more flavour,” says Pascal. Pauwelyn from custom company Sowepo from Poperinge.

Brewery on a Farm

Also a new trend: don’t throw anything away and that’s how you get to the best jenever in the world. And also West Flemish, from Poperinge and produced via social economy in the custom company Sowepo. Poperinge hops are not the only link to agriculture here. A year ago, an Obuz came out of a farm’s brewery tank for the first time.

“We do indeed have a farm and a brewery. We even have a brewery in the farm. We also plant our own barley on the field next to the brewery and we give the marc of the beer to the cows. in,” says Arthur Muylle of Obuz.

(read more below the photo)

Creme Brulée in the freezer

A brand new saleswoman at the catering fair normally keeps laying hens in a company in Anzegem. Now she makes easy-to-defrost ‘creme brulées’, directly tailored to the hospitality industry.

Liesbet Desschans (Frozen Crème Brulée): “We would have loved to have done something extra, because laying hens are alone, you are always in the barn. That’s nice, but you don’t come into much contact with people and that’s how we came to crème brulée The innovative thing about it is that we freeze it with the crunchy layer of sugar.”

And she received a hospitality award for innovation.

“Provide added value”

It seems that farmers are really looking for new markets and are finding them in the hospitality industry. Sustainability and short chain. Beer and jenever from the farm, desserts from the chicken shed and also a pig farmer from Houthulst who is fully targeting the catering industry with 20 fine meats.

“We have a pig farm at home. A family business. My husband and I and three children. We wanted to offer added value. From the company to the plate, we have everything in our hands. Even in the catering industry,” says Herlinde Lafaut of pig farm Glorius in wood holly.

The stock exchange in Bredene normally runs in February. But that was not possible because of corona.

In addition to the 170 exhibitors, 190 candidates are also on the waiting list. The Paalsteenveld of Bredene has therefore become much too small for the 13th edition.