In the field:

Soil preparation is a fundamental step to ensure good sowing and optimal germination.

The direct seeding step, when the seed is sown, starts in springtime, as of mid-April for the earliest varieties, and through to the end of the month of June. The diversity in the varieties of seed enables forcing all year long.

As of the month of August, the roots are ready. Harvesting the roots can continue until December for the late varieties. This step is  crucially important for root storage. Careful attention is paid to root maturity and to climate conditions in this period

Root storage

After harvesting, the roots are cleaned and calibrated, then stored in  wooden box pallets which are then stored in a cooler, in the dark, at a temperature which blocks the growing cycle of the endive. These storage conditions enable us to produce endives all year long to meet the demand

Endive production

Based on demand, the roots are brought out of the cool dark storage and placed vertically in deep containers.

These containers are placed in warm, completely dark growing rooms called forcing rooms, where the grower controls the temperature, the humidity (through a watering system which circulates between the growing containers) and the darkness. The endives, or chicons as they are also known, reach maturity after 21 days, and are brought out of the forcing room.

The chicons are then separated from the roots, a process which is referred to as cassage.

Packing and Shipping

The endives, or chicons, are placed on packing conveyor belts  where certain leaves are removed and the endives are carefully cleaned, weighed and  packed in bags, trays and boxes.

Customer orders are then filled by placing these packs on palettes which are stored in the cooler for optimal storage conditions.

Orders are shipped via refrigerated transportation directly to our customers (buyer groups, distribution platforms, wholesalers, export…). This shortens delivery times and ensures optimal freshness. Our constant, daily objective is “zero inventory” to ensure 100% customer satisfaction.