The shelves of Bio-Planet stores in Belgium are set to feature more home-grown bread, following a successful collaboration between parent company Colruyt Group and farmers, flour mill Molens van Oudenaarde, and bakery Atelier du Pain.
All the partners in this supply chain project are committed to growing high-quality organic baking wheat, which will be processed into organic bread that is Belgian from start to finish, the retailer said.
Colruyt Group wants to use this initiative to boost the domestic organic baking wheat sector and, at the same time, to work towards a broader Belgian-origin assortment on the store shelves.
Belgian Grain
A lack of bread made from Belgian grain on the shelves prompted Colruyt Group to create a supply chain project to encourage growers to choose high-quality Belgian organic baking wheat.
The partners have said that they will reach clear agreements on volume, quality, and price, which will remove financial insecurity for growers.
The new chain will provide guaranteed sales for each of the parties involved, the retailer said, and convince other organic farmers to opt for high-quality organic baking wheat varieties.
Home-Grown, Locally Produced Bread
Customers will be able to choose from 500-gram and 800-gram organic wheat loaves, as well as a French stick – all home-grown and locally produced.
Jan Van Holsbeke, Bio-Planet division manager, said, "In the longer term, we certainly want to increase the proportion of Belgian bread on our shelves. After all, that is still the main goal of this new chain: to offer our customers bread made from Belgian raw materials and by Belgian players and, in this way, to set in motion a positive movement that will enable the Belgian organic baking wheat sector to flourish."
All the bread is baked by real bakers using traditional methods, Colruyt noted.
"We only use four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and time," added Van Holsbeke. "The long production process (up to 24 hours) gives the dough enough time to develop a rounded flavour and structure. We bake our organic loaves – made with home-made sourdough and with no preservatives – on stone to give them their typical slightly sour taste. The result is a loaf with a crisper crust that stays fresh for longer and is easier to digest."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Fresh Produce news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
