A luxury Christmas dinner with a floral touch or festive toasting on the new year with a colorful glass of champagne. Rose growers Rodewijk focus fully on the holidays with their edible roses 'Rosalicious'.
Restaurants, bakeries and catering industry
"The biggest difference is not in the cultivation, but in the sales", says Marius Rodewijk. "Each type of rose needs a different cultivation. The fact that we are now going to trade the roses ourselves is new." After all, you do not find fresh produce traders at the flower auction clock, and that is exactly what they are going to do. "Our sales must mainly go through the food channel. In particular we see opportunities for the better restaurants, bakeries and catering industry. A smaller part will be supplied through the regular flower trade. From the dealers that we approached we received enthusiastic reactions. We are now working with a large client in Spain and there are also several contacts with wholesalers and suppliers in the Netherlands and abroad."
Good timing
Marius together with his brothers Frank and Gerard cultivate Vendela roses on a total of 4.5 hectares in Valkenburg (ZH) and Roelofarendsveen. At that last location, space was cleared in January for a trial planting. "We have tested 10 varieties, 30 to 40 plants from each. We have put the most successful varieties into production at 1,000 m2 from October, so that we can harvest in December. "Good timing, in the Christmas month, is the remark from the fresh produce traders who visited the growers.
Niche product
Via Dutch exporters the roses will also have to find their way abroad. "It is a real niche product. If a few boxes can be added to a freight, it is much more efficient than when we do the export ourselves." It will remain a niche product, Marius expects. "Of course we hope that the product catches on and that we will be able to plant more in the future, but it will not just replace the cultivation of Vendela."
Five colors
Rosalicious is a product of the Danish rose breeder Roses Forever. Via the grower the edible roses are available all year round in five colors: red, yellow, white, pink and orange flamed. The roses are delivered in a handy package. "The roses have been bred in such a way that they are less susceptible to diseases and pests. In addition, we work with biological control agents in the greenhouse, so that consumption is completely safe."
For more information:
Marius Rodewijk
Rosalicious
[email protected]
www.rosalicious.eu