"Crunchita fits into the snacking trend as a healthy alternative to carbohydrate-rich and gluten-based options"

Striving to inspire consumers

Spinneys’ mission is to nourish and inspire its communities to live better lives. “In our 2024-2025 food trend report, we saw that social media shaped many trends. For example, the TikTok ‘cucumber guy’ Logan Moffitt showed us that ‘simplicity’ – with the guidance of a recipe – can shape how customers think about, engage with and react to healthy eating options,” says Angelique. “At Spinneys, we pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve, by travelling, planning, collaborating and consistently selecting products with the customer in mind. We’re always striving to inspire their daily habits of eating well and living well.”

Connecting the best growers and top customers

Collaboration is one of the success factors for innovation, according to Angelique. That’s why Spinneys works closely with the Dutch distributor Freshclusive, the Spanish producer El Dulze and Rijk Zwaan. “We connect the best growers and top customers around the world,” says Henri Schockman, CEO and buying & sourcing director of Freshclusive. “Based on strong teamwork combined with the unique shape and bite of Crunchita, we launched a great product together. We also had a wealth of knowledge thanks to the insights from throughout the whole value chain. That's what made the project such a success.”

Crunchita delivers on crunch

When asked about the unique qualities of Crunchita, which unites the best attributes of iceberg and cos lettuce, Angelique and Henri are wholeheartedly in agreement: its crunchy texture, its distinctive shape and its versatility. “Thanks to the shape of the leaves, it can be used as a ‘spoon’ for appetisers with either hot or cold fillings,” says Henri. “So Crunchita fits into the snacking trend as a healthy alternative to carbohydrate-rich and gluten-based options,” adds Angelique. “It delivers on crunch, which is the texture for 2025. And it’s versatile, because it works well in salads, in wraps or as a snacking ‘hero’ item.”

Shared passion for variety development

Looking ahead, Angelique expects the retailer to introduce more innovations in the fresh produce category, together with partners such as Rijk Zwaan. “I have personally known Jan Doldersum for over ten years. Our relationship has been built on a shared passion for outstanding eating experiences – and developing varieties allows us to influence how customers eat. At Spinneys, we’ve recently launched Rijk Zwaan’s pepper Tatayoyo and we will soon launch a tri-coloured mix of Sweet Palermo. We are also testing the tropical yellowflesh watermelon which has an amazing bright yellow colour and excellent flavour. I’m looking forward to bulding on our relationship further, and I foresee exciting opportunities in terms of upcoming product developments in the fruit, vegetable and salad categories,” she states.

Explore our commitment to care

At Rijk Zwaan, we aim to create a sustainable, positive impact for the world’s food supply by caring for our partners. Explore how our commitment to care can help you thrive in today’s ever-evolving market with Crunchy Lettuce, Tatayoyo, Sweet Palermo and Tropical Yellow.