Stefaan Gheeraert is a self-employed chicory and strawberry producer in Poperinge (West Flanders). Stefaan runs Frachibel with his wife Chantal Lemahieu, along with his son Edouard. He also has two daughters, Rachelle and Aimee.

Frachibel is a pure family business, with Stefaan being the fourth generation to be actively farming.

Frachibel is short for ‘Fraises’ (strawberries), ‘Chicons’ (chicory) and ‘Belge’ (Belgian). As such, Stefaan grows both chicory and strawberries on his farm. This is a good combination, with the two harvest periods aligning themselves perfectly, while also rendering the family's work most varied.

In 1996, Stefaan started growing open field strawberries, before switching to substrate strawberries in 2010.