MMM stories: MICROGREENS ŠEBENIK

As grass and thoughts grow, so do desires, fresh ideas, and goals. From a tiny sprout, they grow with inexhaustible energy and rise towards the light. That’s how, more than a decade ago, the idea of microgreens started in Saša Kržič’s mind, quickly grew, and caught the attention of her husband, Boštjan Šebenik. Since then, surrounded by the greenery of the Ljubljana Marsh, they have been passionately devoted to their business, and have for several years maintained their status as the most established provider of microgreens to restaurants and other herb-loving individuals in Slovenia.

From the tiniest of things grows ... microgreen

The small Šebenik microgreens facility in Borovnica is bursting with young energy and new life. On the shelves, seeds are hiding in containers, waiting for their chance – from homegrown sage, thyme, mint and lemon balm, sorrel, kohlrabi, radish, mustard, and all kinds of basil, to exotic shiso, wasabi, and amaranth. In carefully controlled temperature and humidity chambers, on thoughtfully designed trays, plants are germinating and growing that will soon be gracing the plates of renowned home chefs and enriching the menus of those who have been won over by the freshness of microgreens and by their concentrations beneficial micronutrients. In addition to the germination room, herbs and flowers thrive in the nearby fields – right next to the facility, next to the house nearby, and a little higher up on the Goriški mah. And, here and there, the selection is supplemented by treasures picked from the nearby meadows and forests.

Inspired by a story of Slovenian adventurers, Majyer Tales from New Zealand, Saša started her first experiments modestly but enthusiastically, and after the first successfully grown trays she realised that the idea had worked well. Today, together with Boštjan and a small but dedicated team, she grows more than 30 different types of microgreens, herbs, and flowers. Peas, kale, broccoli, sunflowers, kohlrabi, leeks, and red cabbage are among the most popular, as well as coriander, chervil, mint, basil, and sorrel, which thrive all year round. The picking of flowers, however, depends on the season, from the first primroses to pansies, violets, daisies, cornflowers, nasturtiums, borage, yarrow, and beyond.

One of the shelves of the home facility also houses a range of handy products and equipment for aspiring home germinators – germinator devices, pots, coconut coir pellets, trays and sprayers, while behind the side curtain a colourful world of dried and intoxicatingly fragrant edible flowers (roses, marigolds, hibiscus, peonies, lavender etc.) is revealed, which the Bloomy brand uses to delight dessert and cocktail decorators during all seasons.

Upwards and forwards

Unlike microgreens themselves, which complete their growth in a few weeks and do not climb very high, the plans and goals of the Microgreens Šebenik team have been ambitious from the very beginning. With dedication, love, and mutual support, they have grown and successfully faced even the biggest challenges, conceived new projects, expanded their community through a successful website, and forged many collaborations. Today, they work with more than 150 restaurants in the Central Slovenia, Gorenjska, and Primorska regions, regularly delivering boxes and pots of greenery and flowers to them. The team is delighted to see that the trend in plate decoration has shifted from parsley and carved radishes to the increasingly varied use of microgreens, and is even more impressed by the chefs who use microgreens as an integral part of their dishes – they are happy to arrange with them to grow any of the varieties that they do not normally have in their regular selection. They are grateful for the new blossoming and long-standing collaborations. Veganika, for example, was one of the first to confirm the correctness of the business decision by publishing photos of their beautiful flower-decorated pies, enabling the microgreens company to proceed even more confidently along the road ahead. A road on which they regularly meet with growing businesses, as well as with the biggest names in the Slovenian gastronomy and hotel industries (in Ljubljana, these include Barbarella Green Chef, Vander urbani Resort, Špajza, Breg, Dežela okusov, Altrokè, Landerik, Bife, JB, Cool House Vič, Italian restaurant Mirje, Hiša pod gradom, Vivo Catering, InterContinental, Hotel Slon, and many others).

Proud of their growth, they are planning further collaborations and are happy to share their knowledge. For example, they have recently launched React Green, an online course for all those who want to work professionally with microgreens. A joint educational project with Dr. Teja Klančič (znanstvenica.si) on the impact of microgreens on our microbiome is also on the horizon, and the bubbling fountain of ideas for diverse alliances is never drying up.

Here’s hoping it continues to sprout, grow, and turn green – in hearts, in minds, in ourselves and among us, in pots, and on plates!