As far as we know, there is only one commercial grower of chicory in the UK. In the Netherlands there are more than 500 and there are nearly 3,500 hectares of land devoted to growing chicory.

Dutch growers produce around 59,000 tonnes of chicory every year and more than 21,000 tonnes are exported, making The Netherlands a leading international supplier.

In fact, The Netherlands plays a leading international role in the production and sale of many types of vegetables, not just chicory.

Eighty per cent of Dutch-grown vegetables are exported and the percentage of world trade in fresh vegetables carried out by Dutch trading companies runs into double figures. Dutch companies account for as much as 40 per cent of the trade in fresh vegetables within the European Union.

Vegetable growers and processors in the Netherlands are strictly regulated to ensure the highest standards of food safety and hygiene.

Thanks to this concentration of international trade and expertise, The Netherlands is a world leader in chicory production.

The most important centres of chicory growing are in the west of the country, in the area around Schipol Airport and the so-called Westland between The Hague and Rotterdam. There are also large production areas in the east and south east, mostly in the provinces of Drenthe and Limburg.

Chicory is mainly produced by family businesses, with the owner working in the business. The cultivation and harvesting is still largely done by hand.

Traditionally most Dutch growers do not sell their products themselves but belong to auction cooperatives. The auctions serve as market place for buyers and sellers and facilitate the selling process, leaving the grower to concentrate on production.

In recent years chicory growers have increasingly been forming growers associations. The associations then make contact directly with traders and agree deals which permit their members to grow on a contract basis.

There are now two main associations for chicory growers in The Netherlands – The Greenery and Zon. Both are members of the Dutch Produce Association.

Dutch chicory is shipped to the UK in refrigerated trucks which are carried across the North Sea on ferries. The ‘food miles’ travelled to deliver Dutch chicory to London – even including the ferry journey – can be less than those of vegetables from the English West country or the Scottish borders being sold in the same markets.