Tomatoes nursery Aldo: from EHEC-crisis to cooking workshops

The “extracurricular” activities started in 2011, in the wake of the EHEC-crisis. “We felt it was a shame to dispose of these wonderful tomatoes,” says grower Alfons van den Hoek. “We’d always used tomatoes to make sauce for friends and neighbours, so we figured: why don’t we supply surrounding farm stores? One thing led to another, and before we knew it we were hosting tours. The tours expanded into cooking workshops, and here we are.”

Apart from the gratifying aspects of these activities, there’s the money. “The expansion has a two-fold reasoning behind it,” says Van den Hoek. “First and foremost it’s about opening up the sector to the public, make the business more transparent. But we’re also hoping to compensate for the struggling tomato sector and supplement our income. We are not quite there yet, but it’s an initiative that is certainly picking up speed.”

Today, the nursery receives many different guests: school classes, women's clubs , as well as playing host to an increasing number of corporate events. "For companies it is difficult to find something original to do. We can give people a tour, allow them to harvest some of the crops and then prepare the food," says Van den Hoek. “As long as we stay mindful of possible infections, I believe we have a good thing going here.”