Successful supply chain project enables Bio-Planet to offer consumers more Belgian organic wheat bread
The Bio-Planet shelves will carry more home-grown bread from tomorrow thanks to a successful collaboration between Colruyt Group and farmers, flour mill Molens van Oudenaarde and bakery Atelier du Pain. All the partners in this Belgian 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. Colruyt Group wants to use this initiative to boost the domestic organic baking wheat sector and, at the same time, to work towards a broad Belgian assortment on the store shelves.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
More home-grown wheat bread on shelves
A year ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find any Belgian organic baking wheat on the market and there was very little bread made from Belgian grain on the shelves. This prompted Colruyt Group to create a supply chain project to encourage growers to choose high-quality Belgian organic baking wheat. Colruyt Group has partnered with farmers, flour mill Molens van Oudenaarde and bakery Atelier du Pain for the Belgian supply chain project. The partners will reach clear agreements on volume, quality and price, which will remove the financial insecurity for growers. Bio-Planet's commitment to the project forges the final link in the chain. The new chain will not only provide guaranteed sales for each of the parties involved, but will also boost the Belgian organic wheat sector as a whole and convince other organic farmers to opt for high-quality organic baking wheat varieties.
The first organic wheat bread produced by the Belgian supply chain project will add three products to the range of Belgian sourdough bread on sale at Bio-Planet. From tomorrow, customers will be able to choose from 500 g and 800 g organic wheat loaves, as well as a French stick – all home-grown, all locally produced from start to finish. The ideal way to help customers consume more consciously and sustainably.
“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.” says Jan Van Holsbeke, Bio-Planet division manager.
Authentic taste with a hint of sourdough
All the bread is baked by real bakers using traditional methods, making it truly unique. "We only use four ingredients: flour, water, salt and … time. 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." adds Jan Van Holsbeke.
More information?
If you would like any further information, please contact Colruyt Group’s press office via [email protected] or +32 473 92 45 10 (NL) or +32 473 82 27 15 (FR).
About Colruyt Group
Colruyt Group is active in the distribution of food and non-food products in Belgium, France and Luxembourg, with more than 600 of its own stores and 580 affiliated stores. In Belgium, it operates Colruyt Lowest Price, OKay, Bio-Planet, Cru, Dreamland, Dreambaby, Bike Republic and the affiliated stores Spar and Spar Compact. In France, it operates Colruyt stores, as well as affiliated stores Coccinelle, CocciMarket and Panier Sympa. The group is the majority shareholder in the chain consisting of ZEB, ZEB For Stars, The Fashion Store and PointCarré. Solucious supplies food service and retail products to professional customers in Belgium (hospitals, SMEs, catering, etc.). The other activities include filling stations in Belgium (DATS 24), print and document management solutions (Symeta Joos) and the production of green energy (Eoly). The Group has more than 30,000 employees and generated a turnover of EUR 9.5 billion in 2019/20. Colruyt is listed on Euronext Brussels (COLR) under ISIN no. BE0974256852