Belgian Growers Visit Bradford St James' Wholesale Market

In a strengthening of trade relationships between Belgium and the UK, growers from the Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) have embarked on a promotional tour of UK wholesale markets, starting with St. James’ Wholesale Market in Bradford this week.

Image: Bradford Markets

On Monday (18 May), the delegation of 12 VLAM growers, including Bel'Export, Calsa, and Reo, visited Bradford Council’s award-winning wholesale market, which supplies restaurants, hotels, and food businesses across the north of England. 

The ‘Fresh From Flanders’ promotional programme aims to reinforce Belgium’s position as a reliable fresh produce supplier, while broadening UK wholesalers’ sourcing horizons.

Bradford Markets said the group of producers met with traders from St. James’ market to understand more about the broad variety of fresh produce on offer from Belgium, including strawberries, tomatoes, apples and pears, among other fruits and vegetables.

“Personal contact remains essential,” VLAM explained on social media. “Especially in a post-Brexit context, in which strong relationships and mutual trust are indispensable for the export of fruit and vegetables.

“The warm reception reaffirmed the appreciation for Flemish quality products and the role of Flanders as a reliable partner for the British market,” VLAM added.

During their UK trip, the northern Belgian growers also planned to visit a wholesale market in Manchester as well as New Covent Garden Market in London. 

Image: Bradford Markets

Reliable, Same-Day Supplies

VLAM has been actively targeting UK wholesale markets over the last few years, visiting London’s New Covent Garden Market and New Spitalfields Market at the end of 2025 to showcase the country’s vibrant produce offer. 

Just this year, Belgian potato suppliers in particular stepped up efforts to expand their presence in the UK; exhibiting at IFE 2026 as rising production and a strong focus on innovation create new export opportunities.

Overall, Belgium remains an important direct supplier of fresh produce to the UK, especially for Conference pears, strawberries, tomatoes, and leeks. 

Despite its limited geographical area, VLAM said Belgium ranks among the five largest exporters of fruit and vegetables in Europe, and continues to gain popularity abroad.

In 2024, Belgium produced 1.86 million tonnes of vegetables for the fresh market and industrial processing, including 1.46 million tonnes of outdoor vegetables and 398,881 tonnes of greenhouse vegetables, according to VLAM data. 

The most important outdoor crops for the fresh market were leeks (106,080 tonnes), carrots (89,050 tonnes), and chicory (30,400 tonnes). 

Among greenhouse vegetables, tomatoes led the way with 283,587 tonnes, followed by peppers (32,670 tonnes), cucumbers (29,720 tonnes), and lettuce (20,825 tonnes).

Belgian produce export destinations include the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UK.