Belorta

Who stands behind it

Belorta is a Belgian cooperative that bundles and sells the harvest of about 1,200 growers through the auction. The group was formed in 2013 from the merger of Coöbra and the Mechelen Auctions; a year later, Veiling Borgloon joined, and in 2023, the Belgian Fruit Auction was integrated. The company operates from multiple locations, with headquarters in Sint-Katelijne-Waver and auctions in Mechelen and Borgloon, among others.

The numbers tell the scale. In 2024, Belorta turned over record revenue of 665 million euros, a growth of 7 percent. Vegetables accounted for 61 percent of that revenue, fruit for 39 percent. From just one crop, cucumber, nearly 180 million units went across the clock. This makes Belorta Europe's largest vegetable and fruit cooperative.

What truly sets it apart

More important than size is the structure. The cooperative is one hundred percent owned by the growers themselves. They are not a distant supplier but co-owner, and that guides the choices: consistent quality, bundled range, and a price that comes together daily at the auction instead of in a yearly contract.

For you as a chef, this translates into two things. First, breadth: from field vegetables to greenhouse vegetables, from hard fruit to forgotten varieties under the BelOblita label. Second, traceable origin. Every batch comes from a known grower, with quality labels like Flandria for vegetables. Belorta deliberately steers toward flavor, not just volume; the Baron beef tomato is an example, chosen for its structure and fresh, sweet taste.

How to set yourself apart with this

Belgian origin is a story you can put on the menu without it feeling forced. Say where it comes from: a grower cooperative, auctioned in the region around Mechelen and Borgloon. Work with the season, because an auction follows the harvest, not the other way around.

Practically, you start with the beef tomato. Stuff it, grill it, or cut it thick for a salad; it holds its shape where a softer tomato would collapse. Build around it a changing seasonal board of Belgian vegetables and fruit, so your guests taste that the menu moves with what the fields are giving at that moment.