This year for the 35th time, Ad van der Staay will take care of the cultivation and supply of Spanish field vegetables to the Netherlands. A milestone that takes place in the 75th anniversary of the Staay Food Group as a whole. After first supplying various types of lettuce, this week it is the turn of Ad's endive and celery, among others. The celebrated leaf mandarins just arrived today 22nd of november under the Masia del Pino house brand name.
Slowly but surely, the supply of field grown vegetables is once again shifting from the Netherlands to Spain. A well-known process and an initiative that Staay Food Group, founded in 1946, also adopted in the 1980s. At that time, Ad van der Staay left for Tarragona to set up his own cultivation operation and organise it according to Dutch quality standards. Since its inception in 1987, the acreage of Staay-Savasun (as the branch is called) has grown steadily. In the meantime, Ad has been joined by daughter Bianca and grandson Lars. So, the Van der Staay family personally ensures the supply of fresh produce to the Netherlands during the winter season. From November to March, Staay trucks transport the fresh produce daily to customers in Belgium and the Netherlands straight after harvesting.
Wide range of products for different target groups
Ad (also PlanetProof) grows produce for customers in retail, food service, industry and wholesale. A wide range of fruit and vegetables is available to these customers, mostly packaged under the Staay brand names Masía del Pino and NERO Premium. In addition to the products mentioned, he also grows spinach, cauliflower, romanesco broccoli, pointed cabbage, celery, fennel, spring onion, parsley and broad beans. As far as fruit is concerned, alongside leaf mandarins, he also grows apples (Royal Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Elstar), pomegranates, cherries, plums and apricots.