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Regional salad at PENNY
Proximity and transparency are the be-all and end-all
by Laura Lam (Video) und Achim Bachhausen (Text)

In the third instalment of our mini-series on locally grown vegetables, we present a specialist in a fast-growing vitamin source.

Offering customers fresh fruit and vegetables directly from the region - this is a project close to PENNY's heart. The regional produce can be recognised by the "Marktliebe Regional" private label. A good example is the lettuce, which comes from farmer Christian Berghs-Trienekens in the Lower Rhine region. We took a look around the field.

The producer

Christian Berghs-Trienekens Trained market gardener Christian Berghs-Trienekens, 36, joined his parents' farm in Straelen on the Lower Rhine 14 years ago. The family grows 300 hectares of lettuce, romaine lettuce hearts and mini pak choi, as well as kohlrabi, pointed cabbage and kale (in winter). The farmers supply a large part of the harvest to PENNY. Christian Berghs-Trienekens: "The special thing about the lettuce is that it is completely handmade. We don't just produce the lettuce, we also process it directly. Whether it's the romaine hearts in the special PENNY Marktliebe foil or the lettuce hearts in the bowl: this holistic work from a single source means we have very short transport routes and can be in the store with the goods within 24 hours."

Over the years, the collaboration has proved successful for both sides, says the 36-year-old: "The regional partnership with PENNY works in such a way that we make seasonal arrangements in winter. We then order our plants based on these figures. We have been able to grow reliably over the years and have always had sales security. If we have problems in production, such as at the moment with a lot of rain, then we can discuss it directly and as equals."

 

Green as far as the eye can see. the Berghs-Trienekens family has 300 hectares of land under cultivation - enough space for 35 million seedlings. I Photos: Laura Lam
The buyer

Patricia Hirsch "Regionality stands for seasonality, i.e. seasonal products and short transport routes. And these things are important for the environment, nature and ultimately for the people who shop with us," says Patricia Hirsch, Purchasing Manager Ultrafresh 1 PENNY. "Lettuce is a very fresh product and has a low store life. Regional sourcing and therefore a short transport route are particularly important here.

As a rule, we work with our colleagues via producer cooperatives, often for many years. We select them according to the high standards of our quality requirements. For PENNY, the partnership with our regional suppliers is extremely important because we strategically position ourselves as a neighbourhood discounter. This means that we stand for proximity and transparency, and the range and cooperation with regional farmers are the be-all and end-all."

You can see more about the fruitful cooperation in the video.

 

The distances from the field to the PENNY vegetable shelf are short.
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