The sales of waxy, smooth Laurette potatoes are going satisfactorily. This smooth, waxy potato was introduced in 2015. “The growth is enormous. Compared to the same period last year, we sold over 15 per cent more,” says Bart Nemegheer from De Aardappelhoeve.

Laurette is available year-round, exclusively from Colruyt. “This potato is marketed under Boni selecion, the more luxurious brand of the Colruyt Group. Before Laurette came to the shops, a flavour test was done first, and this strain did best in that test. With its exclusive and creamy flavour, it stole many hearts. Exclusivity was discussed after that, and the glossy packaging was designed.”

Spreading risks
By now, the total area is more than 100 hectares. “Laurette is grown in Belgium and France, and we will soon have the first harvest in Spain. We intentionally chose to grow in two regions there: Seville and Cartagena. In that way, we can spread the risks when there are disappointing weather circumstances. For example, Cartagena was affected by bad weather this winter, so that we could only start planting in February. We will start with harvests from Seville this year.”

Prepared
Are there sufficient volumes for the increasing demand? “We knew the potato would become popular, all the studies showed this. We were therefore prepared, and planted more. We will continue to do so systematically. I expect sales will continue to grow, although we will hit the ceiling one day.”

Shift
According to Bart, consumers are looking for something special nowadays. “There used to be more demand for cheap bulk products, but that is the case less and less often. A shift can be seen. Consumers want something that is good, and are prepared to pay more for that. That is also the case in the meat sector, for example, and in potatoes, naturally. In the past, supermarkets had three kinds of potatoes available at most, but now there is a good range of beautiful varieties and strains in various flavours and colours. Laurette is in the higher segment. It is not a cheap potato, but that makes it special. And more and more consumers are willing to pay for that.”