For Koppert Cress, building a stronger foothold in London’s restaurant and hospitality scene increasingly means strengthening ties with traders in the unique wholesale ecosystem at New Covent Garden Market

Franck Pontais has led Koppert Cress’s sales and marketing efforts in the UK in recent years, building relationships across the country with people at all stages of the supply chain. As the company launches a renewed push into the Market, Franck has been joined by a face familiar to NCGM: Jade Dye, whose history in the wholesale trade gives her both credibility and connections.

Jade joined Koppert Cress as UK National Account Manager, at the start of this year, but her return to the Market feels, in her own words, “like a homecoming”. Before moving into the grower side of the industry, she spent years working in and around the Market — first with AC Produce and later in sales roles at Covent Garden Supply and Smith & Brock. That experience gives Jade an invaluable understanding of the rhythms of Buyers’ Walk and many of the traders who operate there.

She is fast becoming a regular back at NCGM again. “It’s been eight years since I worked in the Market,” Jade says. “A lot of the old faces I know from before, so it’s been nice going around and seeing them again.” The difference now is that she represents a grower supplying into the wholesalers, rather than a buyer who was effectively competing for restaurant customers, and this is a shift that has required a period of rebuilding trust. “Some of these guys were competitors not that long ago,” she explains. “Now I’m here for Koppert Cress, with a completely different agenda.”

Her immediate challenge is straightforward: how best to increase visibility and accessibility of the Dutch producer’s range within the Market’s network. Although Koppert Cress products are widely available in London, they have historically moved through a relatively small number of routes. “The relationships we already have here are hugely important to us,” says Jade. “Everyone we work with would tell you that for the Koppert Cress team, ours is a labour of love and the support and service we offer customers is on another level to our competitors.”

One of the company’s longest-standing and most effective relationships in the capital is with Jim Dew at Harwoods of London, who was among the first traders to take a chance on the brand in London. That partnership with a leading catering supplier remains central to Koppert Cress’s strategic thinking, but Jade is keen to cast the net wider by establishing the range more prominently on Buyers’ Walk.

“The aim is to establish a firm footing on Buyers’ Walk,” she says. “You’ve got some people who will go to Jim at Harwoods, some who go to Neil Brown Herbs, and they will work together too. I’d like more traders being given the opportunity to buy our products in the Market for their customers.”

In practice, the route to market in the UK necessarily reflects Koppert Cress’s wider European supply model. The company does not supply wholesalers directly; instead, its products are distributed via Dutch traders located close to its headquarters in Monster in the Netherlands. Those traders supply the London wholesalers, often alongside other fresh produce lines such as salads, cucumbers or peppers.

That arrangement means that products are available daily, but Jade believes awareness of where to find them still needs building. “It’s about people understanding who they can get our products from,” she says. “Ideally they’ll have an A, B and C option, so on any given day, they can get it from Jim, from Neil, or from another supplier.”

Ease of access is a key part of the strategy. Buyers at NCGM often arrive with a tightly defined shopping list, and if a product is not easy to source it can quickly disappear from the conscience. “Everyone’s busy,” Jade says. “Whether it’s a chef or a supplier, nobody wants to go out of their way unless they really have to. We know chefs want to use our products, so we have to make sure we play a role in ensuring they can get hold of them.”

While price is always a factor to consider, she believes the more significant barriers to growth lie elsewhere. Chef habits and the presence of competing formats within the cress category can strongly influence purchasing decisions. Koppert Cress specialises in living cresses grown in substrate, which offer an extended shelf life and, according to Jade, greater consistency in quality. However, this format can occasionally require chefs to invest a little more effort during preparation in the kitchen.

“Supporting chefs remains at the core of the Koppert Cress DNA,” Jade says. “The company is committed to assisting culinary professionals and actively exploring ways to offer high quality cut cress as well.” By doing so, Koppert Cress aims to become the leading grower across both formats, expanding its offering while maintaining its dedication to excellence. To increase the brand’s momentum in the UK and enhance understanding of the premium Koppert Cress offer, Jade is therefore focusing on wider collaboration with wholesalers.

The company is known for providing samples, tastings and technical support, something she hopes to extend to her clients’ customers as well. “I can go out with any of them to see their customers, organise samples and do tastings,” she says. “You don’t typically get that level of support from a grower.”

As the Market itself continues to evolve, with new layouts and businesses settling into place, Jade believes the opportunity is there; to ultimately cement a stronger presence for Koppert Cress at the heart of London’s fresh produce trade.