Fresh fruit procurement is crucial to our world. Both practically and also emotionally. Without finding the highest quality fruit from the most dedicated growers around the globe we simply would not exist.
Because the growing season in the UK is so short, we work with very few suppliers in this country, and so have to rely on the tenacity and expertise of a worldwide network of more than 500 passionate farmers and communities.
The main countries we source from are Honduras, Peru, Egypt, South Africa, Spain, Brazil and Costa Rica. Our wider network includes India, Mali, Burkina Faso, Israel, Eswatini and many more.
On the ground in these countries, we want to build long-term grower relationships. Trust drives everything, and a lot of deals are still done on a handshake.
We have proven time and time again that we are invested in these communities. It goes beyond client and supplier. We know every grower by name, and there are certain families that we’ve worked alongside for generations now. For us, it’s personal because that’s how most growers like it. These are, at heart, humble, family-run businesses that value loyalty and honesty above anything else. Sometimes a fast ‘no’ is better than a slow ‘yes’ in building a long-term relationship.
We’re not growers ourselves, but with more than 35 years experience in the industry, we’ve learned a lot. So anyone we work with can benefit from the wealth of knowledge our wider network holds. We always share tips and learnings across our network, optimising every growing cycle with practical innovation that anyone can take advantage of.