Fresh Produce Journal - Issue 9 2024 - Apple & Pear Special
STACKS OF POTENTIAL
Could AC Goatham’s 20-year deal with Aldi be a sign of things to come as retailers try to minimise
South Africa is probably the best place in the world to
Around 90% of production takes place in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape in the depths of the Kalahari Desert. The optimal climate along with ample supply of water, land and labour, creates ideal conditions to grow and produce the highest quality and tastiest raisins, with world-leading shelf-life.
The majority of fruit is either completely residue free or well below the legal MRL requirements. The very hot, dry climate reduces the risk of disease and pests and with world-class agronomy usually no artificial treatments are required.
South Africa supplies all major raisin product categories, including: Thompsons, Organic Thompsons, Goldens, Currants, SA Sultanas, Midnights and Crimsons.
Goldens Crimson SA sultana Thompsons Midnight Currants Organic Thompson
Retailers must start working with suppliers in flexible, longterm partnerships if they hope to minimise shortages and give growers confidence to invest
Long-term supply deals are the future
In my interview with AC Goatham’s MD on pages 10-11, Ross tells me he hopes the company’s unprecedented 20-year supply agreement with Aldi (on apples and pears) will be replicated “across the wider horticultural sector”. Twenty years is a long duration for almost any contract, but for a large fresh produce supplier it makes perfect sense when you consider how long it can take to develop or trial new varieties or plant new trees before they bear fruit.
In the case of apples, orchards have a lifespan of around 20 years, so Ross tells me that for AC Goatham to invest “in a serious way”, his business needs “the certainty that only a deal of this type can bring”.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw unsurprisingly welcomed the deal, which is worth £750 million, saying he hopes it is “a positive direction of travel for the supply chain in the future”. He added that before the deal was announced at the end of May, the NFU had already been calling for more longer-term agreements with growers “to help deliver sustainable returns and give them confidence to invest”.
The flip side of agreements like AC Goatham’s is that they may further limit opportunities for smaller independent producers to supply the supermarkets – something that is already rare given the economies of scale that retail suppliers generally now need.
Apples and pears aren’t the only sector where we’ve seen a shift towards longer retail contracts. In berries, potatoes and root vegetables too, FPJ has reported progress towards longer and more flexible deals. Indeed, in January Lidl announced it was switching its British suppliers of carrots, parsnips and swedes to contracts of up to three years.
So long as these agreements are flexible enough on price, volume, and product specifications to truly support growers, these are positive developments. Well-documented cost pressures, volatile weather conditions, and geopolitical instability are making hard-fought tenders of a year or less increasingly precarious for producers. A more sustainable future lies in collaborative, long-term partnerships.
Ultimately, it looks like increasingly common product shortages are forcing supermarkets – some more than others – to wake up to this reality. Indeed, it was encouraging to hear Chambers speak recently of a slight shift in the power balance between producers and retailers. Here’s hoping that some lasting positives come out of this challenging situation to make the industry more sustainable, and thereby boost UK food security, as we face into an increasingly uncertain future. fpj
Fred Searle, Editor
FPJ celebrates half a century of New Covent Garden Market with a look back at its history, an interview with leading traders, and a report on their efforts to supply more British produce
Big news for berries
Agroberries’ acquisition of BerryWorld has created the world’s second-largest soft fruit company, but what does the deal mean for the UK and other global markets?
Fifty not out 38 24 10
Aldi’s apple alliance
The boss of AC Goatham & Son reflects on the producer’s groundbreaking 20-year supply deal with Aldi, which is set to unlock investment opportunities and boost food security
Talking to the trees
Adrian Scripps is trialling new tech to understand exactly what its apple trees need. FPJ hears how the precision orchard management system helps to accurately plan production
Fresh thinking
Greater supply chain collaboration in soft fruit, advances in AI sorting technology, and a raft of new varieties were among the talking points at Fruit Attraction 2024
EDITORIAL
editor Fred Searle
+44 20 7501 0301 fred@fruitnet.com
contributing editor Michael Barker michael@fpj.co.uk
senior reporter Luisa Cheshire
+44 20 7501 3723 luisa@fruitnet.com
managing editor Maura Maxwell
+44 20 7501 3706 maura@fruitnet.com
staff writer
Kristian Bayford +44 20 7501 3705 kristian@fruitnet.com
staff writer
Carl Collen
+44 20 7501 3703 carl@fruitnet.com
staff writer
Tom Joyce
+44 20 7501 3704 tom@fruitnet.com
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
design manager
Simon Spreckley
+44 20 7501 3713 simon@fruitnet.com
senior graphic designer Mai Luong
+44 20 7501 3713 mai@fruitnet.com
graphic designer Asma Kapoor
+44 20 7501 3713 asma@fruitnet.com
ADMINISTRATION
finance director Elvan Gul +44 20 7501 3711 elvan@fruitnet.com
Laura Martín Nuñez +44 20 7501 3720 laura@fruitnet.com
events executive
Poppy Bowe +44 20 7501 3719 poppy@fruitnet.com
MANAGEMENT
managing director, fruitnet europe Mike Knowles +44 20 7501 3702 michael@fruitnet.com
commercial director Ulrike Niggemann +49 211 99 10 425 ulrike@fruitnet.com
managing director, fruitnet media international
Chris White +44 20 7501 3710 chris@fruitnet.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Luisa Cheshire fresh produce journal
Luisa hears how French apple grower-exporter Blue Whale is strengthening its supply relationships in UK retail, wholesale and foodservice amid growing demand report–p16
Fred Meintjes fruitnet
Fred sets out the key challenges and opportunities for South African grape exporters as they prepare to supply the UK market for the 130th year report– p48
Michael Barker
fresh produce journal
Michael explores the strategic thinking and steady growth of UK producer organisation
Asplins as it quietly joins the big leagues of British berry supply interview–p40-41
Kristian Bayford fresh produce journal
As demand for frozen fruit rises, Kristian hears how Place UK has embraced innovation to stay ahead of the curve and maximise quality over the past 70 years feature–p52-53
Printed by Bishops Printers, Portsmouth (UK) Fruitnet Media International The Food Exchange, New Covent Garden Market London SW8 5E, United Kingdom tel +44 20 7501 3700 info@fruitnet.com fruitnet.com
Blending Innovation & Authenticity
Discover more about the exceptional quality of European foods, where tradition, cra smanship, and rigorous standards come together to create unparalleled culinary experiences.
The DIGEST
The NFU is asking the government to back British farming by delivering a renewed multi-year annual agriculture budget of £5.6 billion.
Speaking ahead of the new government’s first Budget on 30 October, the farming union said producers need the lion’s share of the money to deliver the government’s environmental goals, while the remainder will help to drive productivity and support the economic stability of farm businesses.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said British farming was at a “tipping point” with growers needing the confidence to invest in the future. “High costs, record inflation, low farm returns, and the persistent bad weather have resulted in a collapse in farmer confidence, which is at its lowest level since records began,” he said. “This October budget is key to delivering certainty to our food-producing businesses, food security, and environmental targets, all of which contribute to the government’s missions for growth and prosperity.”
Bradshaw’s remarks followed an ‘opposition debate day’ in the House of Commons when MPs discussed the importance of farming to Britain’s food security, environment, and economic growth.
There was cross-party consensus throughout the debate that food security is national security, and that the agriculture budget is essential to investing in the farmers and growers that underpin the future of food and deliver for the environment.
“As we saw in the debate, food is not partisan. It should not be a kicked around like a rotten pumpkin,” Bradshaw said. “The farming and growing businesses that produce food need long-term certainty so they can plan and invest for the future. The number-one way to do this is to ensure we have a strategy to boost Britain’s food security, and this must be
ABOVE—NFU president Tom Bradshaw says the issue of food should not be partisan RIGHT—DP World has announced plans to expand London Gateway further
OPPOSITE TOP—The UK’s Border Target Operating Model continues to be beset by delays
OPPOSITE MIDDLE— Riverford founder Guy Singh Watson (centre) is fronting a campaign to expose UK retailers’ ‘fake’ British farm brands
invested in and supported by an increased agriculture budget.”
DP World unveils £1bn expansion of London Gateway
Logistics giant DP World has revealed a £1bn expansion of London Gateway in Thurrock, Essex, with the aim of making it Britain’s largest container port within five years.
Two new shipping berths will be built, increasing the total to six, as well as a second rail terminal. The expansion will create a further 400 permanent jobs, in addition to the 1,200 people currently employed at the site. The company says this will increase the site’s capacity and resilience for international trade.
The expansion will take the total invested by DP World at London Gateway to more than £3bn, converting the site of a former oil refinery into one of the UK’s largest and most important logistics hubs.
Recently, a £350 million fourth berth was added at the port, the first to be powered solely by electricity.
Introduction of SSDs pushed back in latest border delay
The government has delayed the introduction of Safety and Security Declarations (SSD), required for goods imported rom the EU, until next year.
Originally due to be introduced as part of the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) on 31 October 2024, the roll-out of the new rules has been postponed until 31 January 2025.
Nichola Mallon, head of trade at business group Logistics UK, welcomed the delay but said the group’s members are concerned the extension “does not allow sufficient time for dialogue and action to take place”.
“Our members have been requesting more information about how the new border arrangements will work for some time, but even after the appointment of the new government, engagement with industry has been totally lacking,” she added.
Driscoll’s
launches brand in UK
Driscoll’s has launched its berry brand in the UK with a ‘Devoted to Delicious’ campaign to showcase its commitment to “exceptional taste and quality”.
The move comes two years after the Californiabased soft-fruit supplier and breeder acquired Berry Gardens Limited – the sales, packaging and distribution entity of leading UK soft-fruit cooperative Berry Gardens Growers Limited.
The London-based marketing drive includes branded billboards in high-traffic areas of the capital, berry sampling, and a fruit-gifting installation
in Brick Lane in October. In addition, a Driscoll’s Bike will pop up in key locations to allow Londoners to try Driscoll’s varieties.
Sainsbury’s in peatfree mushroom first
Sainsbury’s is claiming a UK first by launching conventional mushrooms grown without peat.
From October, shoppers will see ‘Grown without Peat’ on ‘By Sainsbury’s’ mushroom packaging in over 200 stores across the country. Peat-free mushrooms will first be available in 300g packs of White Closed Cup and 200g packs of White Baby Button.
The supermarket said the change reduces the carbon intensity of mushroom production by leaving peat in the ground. Instead, the mushrooms are grown in a sustainable substrate made from recycled natural materials. Developed in partnership with supplier Monaghan, the process will reportedly remove 20,465 tonnes of peat from production per year.
Riverford campaign exposes ‘fake brands’
Led by founder Guy Singh-Watson, organic veg box company
Riverford has teamed up with a group of British farmers to launch a new campaign to promote fairness in the supply chain.
‘Farmers Against Farmwashing’ aims to expose the UK supermarket practice of using ‘fake’ British farm brands emblazoned with the Union Jack as a marketing tool to sell food.
The campaign features a fourpart ’docu-series’ in which it says ‘farmwashing’ gives shoppers the false impression that these products come from “quaint British family farms”, when in fact they are sourced from large-scale producers or from overseas. fpj
The Breakdown
Sales and promos continue to rise
• Take-home sales at UK supermarkets grew by 2% in the four weeks to 29 September.
• Grocery inflation increased slightly to 2%, up from 1.7% in August 2024.
• Spending on promoted items continued to rise, climbing by 7.4% in September, as households managed their finances.
• Full-price sales nudged up by 0.3%.
• Grocers continued to roll back prices on some essentials as they competed for share.
• Kantar’s Fraser McKevitt said supermarkets are doing what they can to keep down prices, which are falling in some categories.
• But shoppers are struggling to balance environmental concerns with their own financial worries. Some 59% said they were finding it harder to act sustainably, according to a recent Kantar study.
Retailer market share. Source: Kantar, 12 w/e 29 September 2024
Source: Kantar
UK beetroot to enter US market after NFU lobbying
British beetroot has been granted access to the US following extensive NFU campaigning. Defra estimates that exports will be worth around £150,000 a year. According to the NFU, local supply wasn’t keeping up with demand in the US, so a delegation made the case that UK imports would boost sales. The breakthrough furthers the NFU’s ambition to grow UK agrifood exports by 30% to £33bn by 2030.
• The unseasonably wet weather affected shopping patterns, with sales growing in warming staples like soup.
• Meanwhile, the proximity to Halloween meant pumpkins ‘flew off shelves’. Sales nearly doubled last September’s figures at just under £1m in the four weeks to 29 September.
• Tesco achieved a 28% market share – its largest since December 2017.
• Sainsbury’s sales increased by 5.1%, with market share up by 0.4% to 15.2%.
• Ocado was the fastest-growing grocer for the eighth month running. The online retailer’s market share grew by 0.1% to 1.8%.
• The overall online market grew by 3.5% in the 12 weeks. It is now worth £3.7bn, with 22.1% of households shopping online.
• Spending at Lidl climbed by 8.8%, while its market share rose by 0.5% to 8.1%. Aldi’s share is 1.7% higher at 9.8%.
Tesco has announced it will invest £4mn in a scheme to provide
How sustainable is promotional push?
In recent weeks, grocery retailers have experienced a slight uptick in sales, reflecting a 3% increase in take-home sales compared to the same period last year. However, this growth comes against a backdrop of ongoing economic uncertainty and shifting consumer behaviours. As we look forward to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget, it’s crucial for retailers and brands to understand the current landscape and strategise accordingly.
The easing of grocery price inflation to 1.7% (in the four weeks to 1 September) has not translated into increased financial confidence among shoppers. Nearly 60% remain very or extremely concerned about rising grocery prices, making this their second-biggest financial worry, just behind home energy bills. In response, retailers have intensified promotional efforts, with more than half of all grocery trips now including some form of deal.
Fresh produce has been a significant driver of growth, with a record percentage of items sold on promotion. Over the 12 weeks to 1 September, promotions accounted for over a quarter of fresh fruit and vegetables sold. Notably, fresh fruit promotions hit their highest level in five
Retail price continuum
Organic apples (x4)/Ocado +62p
LAURA FRY
Consumer insight director for produce Kantar Worldpanel
years, while vegetable promotions lagged slightly. Retailers like Co-op, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s lead the charge.
Promotions have notably boosted sales in premium tiers and branded ranges, which are now experiencing double-digit volume growth year on year. Tropical fruits and certain fresh vegetables, such as salads and sweetcorn, are among the highest promoted categories. This strategy, while effective in driving short-term sales, raises questions about sustainability.
The question remains: how can retailers retain customers who have recently shifted towards branded and premium ranges due to promotions? Amid economic challenges and fluctuating consumer confidence, retailers must tread carefully. While promotions can provide a temporary boost, a long-term strategy focused on building brand loyalty and offering genuine value is essential. fpj
Fred Searle speaks to Ross Goatham, the MD of AC Goatham & Son, to discuss the hot topics in British apples and pears and get the lowdown on the major producer’s unprecedented 20-year supply deal with Aldi
Fred Searle
In May, you signed a deal to make AC Goatham the preferred supplier of UK apples and pears to Aldi for the next 20 years. What is the main advantage for your business?
The main advantage is that the deal brings viability and sustainability to our business, and with that, the confidence to invest for the long term. Apple orchards have a lifespan of 20 years, so for us to invest in a serious way we need the certainty that only a deal of this type can bring.
The £750 million deal with Aldi will give you confidence and security to invest over the next few years. What areas of the business will you prioritise?
Over the next few years, AC Goatham is committed to investing in orchards, storage and automation –be that in the packhouse or out in the orchard, to attempt to offset inflation mainly caused by the cost of labour.
We have recently secured an additional 400-acre farm locally on a 25-year tenancy. This we intend to plant up fully over the next three years with apple varieties such as Gala, Braeburn and Magic Star –for supply to both Aldi and Sainsbury’s.
How likely do you think we are to see similar details between major suppliers and retailers in the UK fresh produce industry?
I hope what we have achieved is replicated across the industry –not only in topfruit, but across the wider horticultural sector. This would result in greater food security for the nation – something that is greatly needed given the current geopolitical climate.
How confident are you that British apples can achieve 60 per cent market share at UK supermarkets by 2035, in line with British Apples and Pears’ target?
It is a big ask, but one that is achievable with long-term contracts across the supply base. Yes, the investment needed is substantial, but with long-term agreements comes secure funding and an ability to turbocharge the industry and make the UK far more resilient in food security.
In fact, the availability of an additional sales volume of around 8-10 per cent exists right now. The UK’s largest volume retailer currently under-trades on UK topfruit. If they were to commit to selling just their market share on British, or even selling more than their share – as our two customers, Aldi and Sainsbury’s, have done –then UK growers would need to increase total production by 10 per cent. Overnight, 50 per cent of all the apples sold at UK supermarkets would be British.
How could climate change work in British apple and pear growers’ favour in the short to medium term?
It is very clear that traditional apple-growing regions such as southern France are really starting
to struggle with the extended periods of heat they experience during the summer months.
This could, and probably will, lead to a switch from topfruit to citrus production. This is clearly an opportunity for us here in the UK with our maritime climate, which will still allow us to grow greatquality crops of apples and pears for years to come.
What are you doing to make orchards more resilient to drought and other climate pressures?
We need a joined-up approach with government here in the UK, especially on water usage. We have plenty of water here – more
OPPOSITE—The Aldi deal was announced in May LEFT—AC Goatham will make further investments in automation over the next few years BELOW—Ross Goatham hopes to see more long-term supply agreements in horticulture
ALDI’S PERSPECTIVE
• The 20-year deal will see the introduction of a dedicated ‘Aldi Orchard’ – a 200-acre plot on New Green Farm in Gravesend, which will grow a mix of Gala and Braeburn apples for Aldi stores across the country. (This comes in addition to the 400-acre investment mentioned opposite.)
than the country needs if it were managed properly. I believe farming nationally accounts for approximately 85 per cent of all extraction licences but only uses about two per cent of the total water extracted.
With correct management, we have the opportunity to become a nation pretty much completely selfsufficient for food security. But as I say, we need the government to support us and the wider agricultural/horticultural industry by putting a well-thought-out plan in place.
How much scope is there to move away from singleuse plastic in UK apple supply?
All our plastics used for primary packaging can be recycled, but unfortunately not at curbside yet. We believe a fully recyclable plastic is by far the best option in terms of environmental impact, but we need the government to fully support recycling and get behind the industry.
In our investigations, cardboard and paper seem to have a higher carbon impact than a fully recyclable plastic option, however we are at risk of moving to less sustainable alternatives like these due to public perception.
Besides apples, AC Goatham produces roughly half of the total UK pear crop. What opportunities do you see for British growers to supply more of the pears on UK supermarket shelves?
At present, the UK only produces about eight per cent of the total volume of pears eaten in the UK each year. There is therefore a very clear opportunity to grow more UK pears and displace imports. Pear sales soared during Covid, and although they have dropped off, they are still tracking above pre-pandemic num-
• The discounter says the partnership not only minimises the likelihood of product shortages, but also allows Aldi to uphold its commitment to championing quality British produce at affordable prices.
• The retailer adds that the agreement will allow AC Goatham to extend the British season and continue on its journey to net zero.
• The deal gives the producer “the security they need to grow and thrive, especially in light of adverse weather conditions and other external factors impacting crop yield”, Aldi says.
• Aldi was the largest buyer of British apples in the 2022/2023 campaign, according to British Apples & Pears. In 2023/34, it came second in the industry body’s league table, just behind Tesco.
bers, which is a positive position to be in.
What ambitions do you have for your business over the next 20 years?
We have always had to look at our business in 20-year cycles, however with the Aldi deal now we can plan securely for that period. I have two sons, aged 13 and 15, who both now have the option of joining a thriving and sustainable family business and to take what we have achieved to the next level. fpj
Crop forecast
Up the apples and pears
Russet is a challenge for growers this season, but the British apple and pear season is looking promising, with volumes expected to rise by 15 per cent. Fred Searle reports
Fred Searle
The British topfruit season is in full flow and industry body British Apples and Pears (BAPL) expects the total volume of the two fruits to be up 15 per cent on last year.
“Obviously, it’s still early days, but our growers are reporting they are roughly on track with expectations at the moment. We are unlikely to hit our five-year peak of 2022, but we might get close,” says BAPL’s executive chair Ali Capper.
The industry body hadn’t seen the acreage for the current season at the time of writing, so Capper couldn’t comment on planted area. But she notes that in terms of varieties, Gala and Braeburn are both increasing in volume, while Cox production is also expected to rise slightly – from a low volume year last year. Cox volumes have been falling steadily over the past five years.
BAPL also forecasts higher volumes in varieties such as Jazz, Cameo, Magic Star and Pink Lady, while Smitten and Red Prince look “relatively static” year on year.
Fruit size is expected to tally well with retailers’ specifications after initial concerns that the crop would be slightly larger than typical supermarket requirements. Capper also says fruit colour is “really exceptional” this season.
On the flipside, russet is an
we are seeing very good support and flexibility on russet,” says Capper. “We are also sharing information on our social media channels to educate consumers about the fact that russet does not a ect the great eating experience of British apples.”
During peak harvest, the sector’s main challenge continues to be the weather. Heavy rains in October are reported to have delayed some harvest activity, with growers keen to get back out and pick the fruit.
But from a sales perspective, the sector has once again been supported by start-of-season supermarket promotions, online seasonal celebrations, and TV advertising – to encourage shoppers to buy new-season British apples and pears.
Going forward, Capper says she would like to see TV advertising and in-store theatre continue beyond October to maintain
issue – more so than in recent years – due to the cold weather in the spring. However, BAPL says the amount of russet on the crop varies by orchard and has no impact on eating quality, which is “as good as ever”.
“Our growers are in close discussions with their retailers, and
the interest in domestic topfruit. “We’re already seeing some great support, but we want it even bigger and better,” she says. fpj
ABOVE LEFT—Jazz volumes are forecast to rise this season
ABOVE—Russet is a feature of the current British apple crop
Photo: Charrington’s/Ali Tuson Photography
Forefront OF FRUIT
Robert Hinge is chairman of Fruition PO and a board member of British Apples & Pears. He talks all things topfruit with Michael Barker
OPPOSITE—Fruition members represent 30 per cent of UK apple and pear production
What is the makeup and structure of the Fruition PO business?
Fruition PO consists of 32 grower members and represents approximately 30 per cent of UK apple and pear production. We also have cherries, plums and strawberries. Fruition PO markets its fruit predominantly through Worldwide Fruit, of which we are a 50 per cent shareholder, and Home Grown Fruits, which we wholly own.
How big is the PO today in terms of turnover, and which sectors do you supply?
Annual turnover of marketed production is around £55 million. Most of this is supplied to supermarket retail customers, with smaller amounts to wholesale and processing customers.
Tell me about the range of fruit you supply.
Fruition supplies all the main varieties of apples and pears, such as Cox, Gala, Braeburn, Bramley and Conference. Our ownership of Worldwide Fruit with T&G in New Zealand has given us access to several varieties, including Jazz. Fruition currently supplies the majority of UK-grown Jazz to the market. However, due to its suc-
cess, we are now also partnering with other strategic Jazz growers. We also have access to Kissabel through our relationship with Worldwide Fruit.
Do you have any new varieties coming through?
Yes… but you will have to wait and see what they are!
What is life like as a producer organisation in 2024?
As with the industry as a whole, the number of growers is in decline, though production is fairly static. I don’t see this changing for a few years, although most of the remaining members seem to have invested in the infrastructure necessary for the long-term success of their businesses.
What are the benefits of that structure?
The key benefit is grant funding that we can access. This allows investment in new orchards, stores, irrigation, and covering systems, all of which give growers the confidence to continue their operations.
Are you concerned about the future of PO funding, and how damaging would it be if it was discontinued?
I am concerned about the future funding arrangements for POs given the political turmoil we seem to have been through with Brexit and the last election. Some stability now and for the next five years will provide a platform for a good long-term scheme or a continuation of the existing scheme. Without a similar scheme to the existing PO funding, I would fear for the smaller growers that would
ABOVE—Robert Hinge has served on the BAPL board for 13 years
Michael Barker
APPLE & PEAR SPECIAL
Fruition PO
struggle to gain access to competitive tendering grants.
What other support would you like to see from the new government?
I would like to see the procurement of more UK-grown produce by public bodies. It would save on the carbon footprint as well as tasting better!
How is business going this year?
So far so good. A reasonable crop in the UK and less supply across Europe will hopefully mean growers can recoup some of the losses from the previous year or two.
What are the major challenges facing your business?
For growers, I think uncertainty around labour sourcing is very worrying. Auditing is also becoming a huge burden on producers. There seems to be an endless queue of clipboard-wielding organisations looking at the same things, asking the same questions, and achieving very little. It is time some rationalisation took place and allowed growers to get on with what they do best – growing.
Do you have any recent or upcoming investments or innovations that you can tell us about?
Nothing very new, but anything labour-saving is certainly a focus. It doesn’t necessarily have to reduce the number of people in the orchard, but just enable those people to be more productive. Picking platforms, leaf blowers, reflective cloth will all do that. Electric weeding is on the horizon for orchards. AI and drone technology will provide some advances in time. Mechanical harvesting is the holy grail, but is a way off yet.
What is the company doing on sustainability?
The PO grant scheme promotes spending on cold store improvements, water-saving irrigation schemes, solar panels on buildings, collecting water off buildings and other energy-saving devices. All our members are LEAF audited and dedicated to promoting sustainability within our orchards. Wildflower and beneficial insect promotion is a requirement for all new orchards.
How long have you served on the board of British Apples & Pears (BAPL)?
Thirteen years.
How has the organisation changed over your time?
When I joined, the primary function was to promote UK-grown apples and pears to UK supermarkets. Since then, its core role remains the same. But political lobbying and R&D, both through Horticulture Crop Protection and our own projects (since the AHDB function disappeared), has taken a more prominent position.
What are you most proud of in terms of BAPL’s current work?
Of the current work, the most pleasing is to see the improved demand for British apples and pears, which I have no doubt is in some way related to the work of BAPL. Much of this is because of the unified BAPL board representing almost the entire industry. It is a great achievement and long may it continue.
How would you assess the health of the UK apple and pear sector currently?
Precarious. There is a little more optimism, but we need some sustained improvement over several years. There is a fantastic opportunity for us to produce almost double the volume of apples and pears that we are currently. New and better varieties will aid that, but we also need certainty over labour. Double the volume will also require double the cold storage and packing requirements. Government can really help here with PO and capital grants. What a great story this would be for retailers to reduce imports and food miles by supporting more UK-grown fruit.
What more support does it need to thrive, from government, customers or consumers?
From our retail customers, we need longer-term contracts and returns that deliver a healthy profit, so that we can reinvest for the future. We also need to reduce the audit burden and duplication that exists. From consumers, we want everyone to look after their health by eating an apple or a pear a day. From the government, we are asking for match-funded grants for new cold storage facilities, renewable energy solutions, and orchard investments. We need assurance around the labour we need to pick fruit in the form of a five-year rolling seasonal worker scheme, with the option for six- and nine-month visa stays. We also want confirmation that promises concerning grant investment for packhouse robotics and automation made earlier by the previous government will be honoured. fpj
Britannia rules for Blue Whale
French apple grower-exporter Blue Whale is enjoying growing demand in the UK, as Luisa Cheshire reports
Luisa Cheshire
French apple grower cooperative Blue Whale is enjoying a strong start to its UK export deal thanks to good availability of early varieties and renewed retailer interest in the French o er.
Speaking to FPJ in late September, the Montauban-headquartered group said it was supplying “heavy” programmes of Gala to British supermarkets this year before domestic volumes came on stream.
“Our focus is not to compete with home fruit,” stresses Bobby Barton, Blue Whale’s export sales executive. “In this business, you have to know when to turn the tap on and o .”
Thanks to its diverse grower base located across France, Blue Whale – as a supply organisation – has the ability to shift in line with changing market needs, he says. “Our production is starting earlier in the season, and lasting for longe. This extends our sales calendar and means we can adapt.”
In recent years, the global apple market has
changed, Barton explains. A drop in Southern Hemisphere volumes destined for Europe has cleared channels for northern hemisphere fruit.
Meanwhile, he says UK producers are finding it hard to keep the market supplied for 12 months of the year – as was the case with Braeburn last year. “This has led to renewed UK retail interest in French apples,” says Barton. “As an agile marketer, Blue Whale has a key role to play here.”
Historic ties
But supplying the UK is nothing new for Blue Whale. The French marketer has enjoyed a long export relationship with its cross-Channel neighbour, and Britain today ranks as its second-biggest market after France.
“It is a market of value and opportunity, where we are a recognised player with an extensive network of customers in all retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors,” Barton says.
Brexit has introduced a layer of complexity to the trading relationship. But having a UK o ce (BWUK) with an expert team on the ground has helped maintain sales and service levels.
“We are proud to see our market share grow, sometimes accounting for 45 per cent of all
French apples in the UK,” he says. “And this is in spite of mounting competition from cheaper Eastern European suppliers.
“This year we expect a £85 million turnover from the UK. Our business here is growing year on year, and our new post-Brexit set-up with BWUK has matched the new demands of this specific market.”
This season, Blue Whale has a preponderance of smaller Gala sizes, which are particularly suited to the UK market, according to Barton. “Pink Lady is also a big driver for our retail customers, and the colour on the trees is sublime at the moment,” he says, adding that Blue Whale is Europe’s main Pink Lady producer.
The supplier is also producing other new varieties that deliver great taste. Its star apple, Candine, is now a success story in Asia, while Coeur De Reine is performing well on the French retail market.
“Other niche varieties like Kissabel are creating great interest at home and abroad,” Barton adds. “Generaly speaking, we are supplying more club varieties, like Pink Lady, Jazz and Candine, which secure better grower returns.” fpj
ABOVE—Blue Whale has a diverse grower base across France
Blue Whale
let’s grow together
Varietal innovation
APPLE OF their eye?
UK retailers are starting to wise up to the sales potential of stocking premium apple brands. FPJ highlights some of the newer varieties causing a stir in the UK and elsewhere
RedPop
RedPop continues to make a big impression across Europe, Asia, the Americas – and now the UK.
With a crop of 8,000 tonnes this season, plus 500 tonnes of organic, availability has increased dramatically since the licensed variety was launched in Italy in early 2022. And by 2028, that volume is expected to double.
In March, Waitrose renewed its support for RedPop, which is imported into the UK by Worldwide Fruit.
“Not only is it the perfect apple for our consumers seeking an extraordinary snack to take anywhere, but it also stands out in the stores and demonstrates that we are able to reach a wide range of consumers with a lively and attractive presentation,” says topfruit buyer Jordan Halifax.
Kissabel
apple brand” this year, after harvesting its biggest crop ever. For the first time, Rockit planned to export around 200 million apples year-round to its ever-expanding network of international markets.
Apple brand Kissabel says it will target young consumers with a love for all things new and exciting, as sales of its northern hemisphere crop gets underway in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the US. Production of five different pink and redfleshed varieties with different coloured skins has increased
steadily in recent years. And according to the consortium of companies licensed to grow and market them, the plan is to “continue laying the foundations” for strong demand in the near future.
In the UK, homegrown yellow and orange varieties were scheduled to return to supermarket shelves from the end of September, followed later by red varieties that extend the season to the end of February.
“We believe the introduction of Kissabel will grow total apple sales and attract new consumers,” says Hannah McIlfatrick, commercial director at licensee Worldwide Fruit.
Rockit
New Zealand apple grower Rockit Global took a step closer to achieving its aim of making Rockit “the world’s most-loved
Cosmic Crisp
Cosmic Crisp is something of a marketing fairy tale. Its backstory – evoking a Wenatchee mother tree – so captivated American journalists that the brand became a national star before the first apples were even sold in 2019.
Today, the apple variety – developed eight years ago to replace Red Delicious – is poised to become a global phenomenon having been planted in 10 regions around the world.
Stellar
Stellar, an early-season variety bred specifically for hot and warming climates, was launched at Fruit Attraction in October. It was developed by the Hot Climate Partnership – a collaboration between The Catalan Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research, Catalonian fruit producer association Fruit Futur, and T&G Global’s genetics and variety management business VentureFruit.
Stellar apples are bright red and similar in size to Gala, with the added benefit of maturing one to two weeks earlier. fpj
Scripps scouts precise new tech
Precision orchard management is the name of the game at forward-looking apple producer Adrian Scripps, as Luisa Cheshire reports
Fruit grower Adrian Scripps is pushing the boundaries of traditional British apple production at its orchards in Kent.
The family-owned producer-packer, which grows apples, blackcurrants and wine grapes across its 750 hectares near Tonbridge, is testing cutting-edge technological innovations at key stages of the apple production process.
Trialling at Adrian Scripps this year is TreeScout – a prototype tractor-mounted sensor (TMS) for precision orchard management, developed by Dutch company Aurea Imaging.
Harnessing AI and 3D computer vision, TreeScout scans the orchard and maps each tree, assessing aspects such as blossom, tree vigour and crop load.
“Using this technology means we can then tailor management to the individual tree, such as adjusting the nutrients we give it, our thinning, root pruning, and so on,” explains managing director James Simpson. “TreeScout also monitors our cropping and harvesting at tree level, and geolocates our crop load, which helps with planning and managing harvesting.”
Adrian Scripps is no stranger to pioneering technology. Some three years ago, the producer invested in a fleet of automated harvesting ‘Revo’ platforms to facilitate the picking process. These self-propelled, auto-steering platforms gently convey the apples from picker to fruit bin as they progress through the orchards.
Last season, Adrian Scripps trialled Hectre – new fruit-size scanning equipment that can accurately size and colour-grade a trailer full of freshly picked apples, prior to grading and storage. This has been rolled out across all their farms this season.
“This technology is helping us understand what sizes we have, which in turn can help us more accurately plan sales, how to store, and so on,” says Simpson, speaking to the FPJ in mid-September, halfway
through the 2024 apple season.
Adrian Scripps is also involved in four Innovate-UK funded apple projects; separate BAPL-funded research into the carbon life-cycle of an orchard; a robot-harvesting project; and a Swiss-UK funded project recording the electric flow of tree. “The trees are talking to us, e ectively,” says Simpson. “We can read the data and learn to translate that into what the tree needs.”
Sta work alongside universities and commercial partners on these projects, he explains, while at the same time focusing on the business of growing. Founded by Adrian Scripps in the 1960s, the eponymous firm started out as a mixed cattle and arable farm before turning its attention to producing fruit.
To date, the business is the UK’s leading Pink Lady produc-
er – alongside which it grows Jazz, Kanzi, Gala, Bramley, Red Prince, and Braeburn.
In Simpson’s view, the future for UK apple production lies in premium varieties, since it is increasingly challenging for growers to the make money required to reinvest from so-called commodity apples like Braeburn and Gala. Thankfully, British retailers are also beginning to recognise the value of premium apple brands and are backing this trend.
To that end, Adrian Scripps is currently trialling some 20 di erent varieties in its Kentish orchards – some of which Simpson hopes will yield promising results in future. fpj
ABOVE—TreeScout’s tractor-mounted sensor maps each tree in the orchard
Adrian Scripps
Luisa Cheshire
Belgian pears
Belgian pears ride the storm
Known to be one of the world’s best countries for pear production, Belgium continues to excel on the UK market. But challenges are mounting for growers, as Kristian Bayford reports
RIGHT—BelOrta’s central sorting unit in Borgloon, eastern Belgium BELOW—BelOrta supplies apples and pears to various European markets
Belgian pear growers are facing an array of challenges this season, with more unpredictable and unstable weather their primary concern. Nevertheless, varietal development and recent investments are cause for optimism at Belgium’s largest fruit and vegetable cooperative BelOrta. The group has more than 1,200 growers in total, of which 300 produce pears.
In recent seasons, Belgium has su ered from periods of drought, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall, as climate change intensifies. “This has an impact on harvests and therefore the profitability of our crop farms,” says BelOrta’s sales and marketing manager Jo Lambrecht. “Yet we try to cope with this through technical interventions in the orchards.”
In addition, BelOrta has faced some other market disruption in the past few years. “The unpredictable consequences of Brexit are also worrying our growers and trade,” Lambrecht emphasises.
“Other market disruptions were Covid-19 and the global energy crisis, which increased costs in pear production. We continue to pay for that inflation.”
Recruitment is another big challenge in the Belgian pear sector –
as it is in many others. “To ensure that our pears continue to end up in consumers’ baskets, we need to have a good understanding of growers’ needs,” says Lambrecht. “And our recent investment in a state-of-the-art central sorting unit helps our production with this sta ng issue.”
In a bid to maximise consumer satisfaction, BelOrta also uses new storage techniques such as Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (DCA) –to monitor the needs of the fruit throughout the storage period and to optimise its quality.
The right varieties
When it comes to varieties, the positive news is that Conference, favoured by the majority of Belgian pear growers, continues to play a central role in the UK.
“This pear is characterised by a wide range of calibres, but also by its versatility in terms of use –‘crisp and fresh’ or ‘soft and sweet’. It o ers something for everyone,” Lambrecht says. “Just think of the demand for ready-to-eat-fruit, for which Conference pears are ideally suited. And our focus on highly sustainable cultivation o ers British consumers just what they are looking for.”
In terms of new varieties,
BelOrta is currently diversifying to o er a wider range in future. One example is the Fred pear, which Lambrecht describes as a “blushed variety positioned as a connoisseur pear due to its exquisite flavour and excellent aroma”.
Additionally, health awareness is on the rise among British consumers, helping to drive up demand. This is certainly a trend that the trade in Belgium aims to capitalise on.
Ultimately, Belgium’s pears will continue to play an important role in the UK market. And despite the climate challenges, BelOrta looks set for more major milestones in sustainable and high-quality production in the years ahead. fpj
Kristian Bayford
Growing fruit and vegetables sustainably
Made in Europe
We put a lot of e ort into integrated fruit growing, and specifically designed the orchard to attract beneficial insects which serve as natural pest control.
Ann De Ryck
We reuse rinse water to clean the harvested leeks, and produce green electricity with solar panels.
Jurgen De Roo
We have a pond with floating solar panels in Meer. By covering the water surface, we counteract evaporation and reduce algae in the water.
Mitch Vermeiren
Loved in Britain
YEARS
Market history
Moving with the times
Exactly 50 years ago, Covent Garden Market became New Covent Garden Market, relocating to a new site near Vauxhall in London. Fred Searle looks back at the many ways the market has evolved since then and how its progress has been chronicled in the pages of FPJ
Fred Searle
When traders at the old Covent Garden Market crossed the Thames and moved into their new site in Nine Elms, Fruit Trades Journal (as FPJ was once known) published a message from none other than the Duke of Edinburgh. In a special supplement to the magazine in 1974, Prince Philip wrote that “economically, commercially and technically, the new site is a vast improvement”, adding that the facilities at Nine Elms “are obviously the best and most convenient which the ingenuity of designers and architects can devise”.
Fifty years on, that assessment is, unsurprisingly, outdated. Indeed, market traders agree that New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) is much in need of
its ongoing redevelopment – even if there was disagreement over what form it should take. Over the past five decades, the market and its traders have been through a lot.
Ups and downs
Scores of traders were forced out of business during a difficult period in the 1980s when the quality and volume of produce fell sharply as suppliers began to prioritise the supermarkets.
Then, in the 1990s, traders
ABOVE—The first new section of Buyers’ Walk at NCGM opened in June OPPOSITE TOP—The market’s redevelopment is happening in stages OPPOSITE LEFT—NCGM under construction in 1972, two years before it opened OPPOSITE CENTRE—The old Covent Garden Market after the last day of trading in 1974
switched their attention to predominantly supplying London’s burgeoning restaurant and catering sector – a pivot that has ultimately paid dividends. In the past 10 years, the big talking point has been the market’s redevelopment, plans which met with vocal opposition from traders before eventually being ironed out.
Delving into the FPJ archives reveals mixed opinions about the pros and cons of relocating the market back in 1974. Ten years after the move, Fruit Trades Journal reported in an anniversary supplement that the volume of trade at NCGM had grown “beyond most expectations”. This was largely thanks to increased storage capacity, the market’s accessibility to articulated and refrigerated lorries, and its suitability for forklift trucks, the journal pointed out.
Recognition of the new market’s commercial success contrasted with reservations about “the loss of an established and colourful folklore” and “a negation of the way of life of old”. Other traders expressed concern about a lack of contact with the general public at the “hemmed in” Nine Elms site. Of greatest concern in 1984, however, was that wholesale markets across the country were “in danger of being used as a dumping ground” as supermarkets began to rise in prominence.
Fresh opportunities
Ten challenging years later, chairman of the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA), Bill Bowman OBE, wrote a comment piece for FPJ arguing that NCGM
should become a “one-stop shop” for the catering industry. “How can it fill the gaping holes that have opened in market occupancy, due to the decline of the independent greengrocer and the traditional fruit and vegetable wholesaler who served it?” Bowman asked. Indeed, the number of traditional wholesalers at the market had declined from around 120 in 1974 to fewer than 50 in 1994.
The answer, he said, was to fill the market with a wider range of tenants beyond fruit and veg –including suppliers of baked goods,
dairy, meat and fish, all of whom “could find the New Covent Garden site attractive”. In the 30 years that followed, these additional sectors became a bigger feature at the market. In fact, the largest supplier at NCGM today is The Menu Partners, offering a full range of ingredients, from fish to dairy.
Nevertheless, fruit, vegetables and flowers still account for the vast majority of produce traded at NCGM – but the market’s customer base has continued to change. Despite a slight resurgence in the independent retail sector during Covid, today there are many fewer greengrocers and street traders than back in 1974. Supermarkets, meanwhile, have long dominated in the purchase of food from the growers and in the supply of food to the public, forcing a number of NCGM wholesalers out of business.
But as former FPJ editor Tommy Leighton – now press officer at NCGM – put it in his 30-year anniversary feature in 2004, the rising fruit and vegetable volumes »
demanded by London’s catering trade “provided ample compensation” for the surviving traders.
“Wholesalers and catering suppliers are now the two interlinked pillars of the market,” commented then chair of the CGMA, Leif Mills. And this dynamic has continued, with 80 per cent of the market’s trade now passing between companies within the market.
It goes without saying that catering supply only thrives if people are eating out. And in 2020 and 2021, Covid lockdowns decimated the hospitality sector, forcing a number of NCGM traders to switch to home deliveries just to survive. Since then, the restaurant trade has recovered – albeit not to the same level as before the pandemic – but NCGM has recovered en masse, reporting a record turnover of £880 million in its latest financial year
Focus on quality
Today more than ever, the focus for traders is on quality, emphasises long-standing chair of the Covent Garden Tenants’ Association (CGTA) Gary Marshall. He says he is optimistic for the future of UK wholesale markets following the growth of greengrocers, farm shops and delicatessens during (and after) the pandemic, as well as rising demand for highquality restaurant food and experiences.
Nevertheless, Marshall emphasises that appreciation for highquality produce is still lacking in the UK compared to Europe. “People must start to appreciate
fresh produce a lot better in this country,” Marshall told Fruitnet MD Chris White in a recent Fruitbox podcast. “In Europe, they all appreciate it. What we expect in this country is cheap, cheap, cheap. What we should be saying, and what New Covent Garden promotes, is quality, quality, quality, taste, taste, taste.”
Brexit, climate change, inflationary pressures, and customers’ rising demand for contract pricing all present significant challenges for the market in the immediate future. But the redevelopment of NCGM could mark a fresh period of expansion for some businesses, thanks to the extra capacity in traders’ units, more efficient facilities, and a cleaner, brighter feel.
On 30 June the first new section of Buyers’ Walk in 50 years was opened, welcoming in three businesses as its inaugural tenants. One of them in particular, Premier Foods Wholesale, sees major positives. “It’s gamechanging,” says managing direc-
tor Jason Tanner. “For the sort of customers we have been able to attract to the market now, the state-of-the-art facilities are crucial… This is going to be a new market, with a lot of potential.”
The market has always been adept at moving with the times and adapting to changing circumstances. And hopes will be high that the redevelopment only makes the market stronger as it embarks on its next chapter. fpj
RIGHT—High-quality produce is the name of the game, now more than ever BELOW—Some lamented the loss of folklore when the market moved site
WHOLESALE CHANGES
Four of New Covent Garden’s leading traders – Nick Padley (Side Salads), Jason Tanner (The Menu Partners), Will Thorogood (S Thorogood & Sons), and Iain Furness (French Garden) – give us their views on the trends that have shaped the market as we find it today
Quality and service
NP: We’re in a different world now, where everything is about service. It is so fast-paced and people don’t have as much time these days. You have to make sure you’re giving your customer a high-quality product they can
trust. Like us, our customers are struggling to find staff, so the last thing they need is to receive product that isn’t up to the quality they require, or needs sorting through or sending back.
The picture has changed a bit. It all used to be about price, but increasingly, as long as you’re in the right ballpark on price, service and quality have taken over in importance.
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BELOW—Nick Padley (centre) says contract pricing is now widely used at NCGM
Contract pricing
NP: A lot of the market now is moving towards contract pricing. When I first started, you’d get products on a semi-open price and everything was traded. I’d say that a seasonal price is agreed for 75 per cent of our products now.
It’s not as much fun as it used to be, and I don’t necessarily like it, but you’re securing business on a long-term basis. It can be a bit of a juggling act, of course. It worked well for me last year, not so much this year, but it’s a different way of trading. I’d say it’s the norm for salads now.
Recruitment and working hours
NP: I’ve recruited kids of friends; I’ve recruited my own friends and family. I look for people who are reliable and have a good work ethic. But it’s a challenge to keep staff long term.
The working hours are a real challenge. When I started, there was a day shift and a night shift. Most people would start at 4am. Now it’s one shift.
We’re all about the service and most of the foodservice suppliers want their vans out on the »
road by 2.30-3am. So you find yourself on the stand at 8.30pm. I’m usually off the stand before 6am, but then back home to speak to suppliers and customers, sending out prices and you’re following them up on your way in, in the evening. It’s just part of the job – you’ve got to want to be in it. I think most sales jobs are like that.
Market redevelopment
JT: I appreciate that some companies are still working in the older part of the market, but I think the new facilities are now beginning to make a real difference. We have two new facilities and we’re able to retain staff for longer by giving them improved working conditions – our own toilets and canteens, for example.
Demand for British produce
WT: The higher-end restaurants have said for many years that they want more British produce. I’d say that now, they really do. The Michelin Star restaurants, and those that can afford to change their
menus daily, have pretty much across the board gone with the farm-to-fork story with their customers. It’s more developed with meat and fish, but it’s definitely becoming a bigger thing with fresh produce. The higher-end customers want that story.
Serving consumers
IF: Some members of the public have started shopping at the market in the past 18 months. There are a lot of people moving into the new flats in Nine Elms, including quite a few Chinese international students.
A group of friends might buy a box together and then split
MARKET REVAMP
• NCGM has around 175 tenants, spanning fruit, veg, flowers and fine foods and drinks. The market has a combined turnover of approximately £880mn and its traders employ over 2,500 staff.
• An ambitious redevelopment project, in partnership with developer Vinci St Modwen, is well underway and set for completion in Q4 2027. NCGM is the first British wholesale market to be rebuilt on its standing location.
• The revamped market will have a smaller overall footprint, but will offer tenants more trading area and state-of-the-art facilities. It will retain its traditional strengths but already boasts a more varied mix of tenants.
• In June, the market opened the first brand-new section of Buyers’ Walk since 1974, housing 24 units. Three traders have moved across already and the remainder will join their colleagues and competitors once the rest of the new Buyers’ Walk is completed in early 2026.
it up between themselves. We have products they can’t get in Sainsbury’s or Tesco. And it’s a nice little boost for the market because they pay up front, and cash flow is important. Plus, it brings more footfall and atmosphere back into the market. fpj
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ABOVE—Jason Tanner (centre) says the new facilities are improving staff retention
50 YEARS OF NCGM
British Food Fortnight
Backing British
Chair of the Covent Garden Tenants Association, Gary Marshall, urged more UK producers to supply the market at a special event to mark the start of British Food Fortnight. Fred Searle reports
Fred Searle
Wholesalers, growers and suppliers came together on 20 September for a special morning at New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) to mark the start of British Food Fortnight.
The event celebrated the quality and value that UK producers offer wholesale markets, catering and hospitality, as well as marking 50 years since NCGM relocated to Nine Elms
“The first day of British Food Fortnight is always a momentous day in the nation’s food calendar,” said Wanda Goldwag OBE, who is the chair of Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA), the landlord and management company at NCGM.
“This market has marked the annual event in various ways over the years, but this year, we wanted to make it more of an interactive occasion and invite people to meet some of the fantastic British growers who supply wholesalers both here and around the country.”
In a typically rousing speech, chair of the Covent
Garden Tenants Association, Gary Marshall, urged more UK growers to supply the market and “become one of us”.
Marshall is full of optimism for the future of UK wholesale markets and says he is keen to support British growers amid the mounting pressures they face.
The market needs continuity of supply and quality produce though, he stressed. “We don’t want to be an after-thought… But if you’re in it with us, we’re in it with you.”
NCGM also works closely with food redistribution charity City Harvest. The organisation’s CEO Sarah Calcutt, who is also a nonexecutive director at CGMA, spoke
of the need to be “loud and proud” of homegrown produce.
The challenge for traders at the market is that UK producers have faced intense economic and climatic challenges in recent years, making it harder to find reliable British suppliers – especially since wholesale suppliers can’t match the volumes taken by the supermarkets.
Nevertheless, demand for British produce from NCGM’s hospitality customers is reportedly stronger than ever.
Nick Padley, the sales manager of Side Salads, said English growers are “few and far between now”, adding those that still supply NCGM “are the ones that
have reinvested in the business to ensure the quality and consistency of the product, and the way it is presented, packed and graded”.
kinds of businesses that might try to go direct to a grower, so the more we support them and look after them in terms of payment, the more likely they are to stay loyal to us. Touch wood, that has worked for us.”
Other major traders, suppliers and industry representatives at the event included: Jason Tanner of The Menu Partners, Iain Furness of French Garden, Will Thorogood of S Thorogood & Sons, the FPC’s Nigel Jenney, Tim O’Malley of Nationwide Produce, John Myatt of UK soft and stonefruit grower J Myatt & Co, Wanda Goldwag and Jo Breare of CGMA, and Rachel Sands of the NextGen Fruit Group.
The early morning event culminated with a breakfast cooked using produce sourced from the NCGM Buyers’ Walk that morning, by student chefs from Westminster Kingsway College (Westking) in Victoria.
Padley stressed that he always pays English growers within a week of invoicing to help with their cash flow.
“A lot of our customers are the
He cited suppliers such as Portwood Asparagus and G’s, which are “always being innovative, moving forward, and working with the markets”.
Westking buys its fresh produce from NCGM and also receives two products each month, one homegrown and one imported, free of charge, to support its students’ development. fpj
ABOVE—Gary Marshall wants more UK growers to supply NCGM OPPOSITE—Traders report strong demand for British produce
50 YEARS OF NCGM
Industry champions
Gary Marshall and New Covent Garden picked up prestigious prizes at this year’s FPC Fresh Awards, recognising their positive impact on the UK wholesale industry.
Michael Barker reports
Michael Barker
Gary Marshall and New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) were honoured for their years of service to the UK fresh produce industry at the FPC Fresh Awards 2024.
Marshall, managing director of Bevington Salads and chairman of the Covent Garden Tenants’ Association (CGTA), received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event in London on 27 September.
NCGM received a special 50-Year Anniversary Award marking a half-century since the market’s relocation to Nine Elms, since when it has evolved into a world-renowned wholesale market.
‘Produce industry hero’
Marshall has been a key figure in the fresh produce industry for over four decades. A cornerstone of NCGM, he has spent the last 45 years making significant contributions to London’s wholesale and retail market scenes.
For the past 37 years, Marshall has been the driving force behind Bevington Salads, guiding the company to become one of the market’s leading wholesalers. His 14-year tenure as chairman of the CGTA has also seen him play a pivotal role in shaping NCGM’s future.
The judges said: “Whether serving as a collaborator, facilitator, or innovator, Gary has dedicated his working life to the wholesale industry in the UK, making numerous positive contributions to both the sector as well as various charitable causes. Gary is a true produce industry hero. He is richly deserving of this prestigious award for his lifetime achievements to date.”
Of the achievements of the wider market, the judges commented: “This iconic market stands as a cornerstone of the UK’s fresh produce industry, supplying London and the nation with the finest fruit, vegetables, flowers, and more with efficiency and expertise – all the while keeping sustainability and quality proudly at its core.
“Throughout the past five decades at its current site, NCGM has continued to adapt, innovate, and grow to remain at the top of its game. With exciting redevelopment plans well underway, the next 50 years are set to be just as vibrant and successful.”
Industry excellence honoured
The FPC Fresh Awards crowned winners across a wide range of categories from business and individual excellence to suppliers and retailers.
One of the centrepiece awards, Fresh Produce Business of the Year, went to BerryWorld, with judges recognising the soft-fruit supplier’s future-focused and sustainability-driven agenda, as well as its work in pioneering col-
laboration and innovation, and expanding the berry category.
BerryWorld was also named UK Grower of the Year in the fruit and veg category, with Double H Nurseries collecting the equivalent gong in the floral and plants section.
In addition, the berry supplier won the Sustainability Excellence Ethical Award, for its project supporting its female workforce in South Africa to overcome taboos and gain access to sanitary aid during their menstrual cycle.
Among the retailers, Lidl, Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S all picked up awards. fpj
ABOVE—Gary Marshall (right) won the Lifetime Achievement Award
50 YEARS OF NCGM
Porters Foliage
Foliage forever
Fred
Searle speaks to Bryan Porter of NCGM trader Porters Foliage to hear how his longstanding family business, and the cut foliage sector in London, have evolved over the years
Fred Searle
There are relatively few suppliers that can say they’ve been around for over a century – in any sector – so the sheer longevity and resilience of Porters Foliage is something to behold.
Five generations of Porters have poured their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit into the family business across its 114-year history. And although the work hasn’t got any easier, those family ties make it all the more rewarding, says current owner Bryan Porter.
The New Covent Garden trader has grown to become one of the UK’s leading suppliers and importers of cut foliage and tropical stems, as well as a wide range of dried, preserved and bleached products. It is the only foliage wholesaler at NCGM and now sells around 5,000 lines, of which 3,000 could be live at any time. But like any business, it had to start somewhere.
The story behind the company’s inception is like a passage from a novel. Back in the early 1900s, Bryan’s great-grandfather Aaron, a feather collector from West Sussex, travelled up to east London to deliver his feathers, which were used for filling pillows. It was on his way home that he detoured through the old Covent Garden Market early one morning.
“Being the inquisitive type, Aaron stopped to see what the activity was all about,” Bryan says. “And when he had a walk around, he discovered some cart holders selling cut foliage. Ever the entrepreneur, he thought, I have lots of this around me in Sussex. He asked one of them if they would be interested in buying some if he delivered up to London. They said yes. So, on his next trip up, he bought an extra cart full of foliage.”
This started the Porter family’s journey into the cut foliage trade. And it led to Aaron eventually owning and running five shops in the original Covent Garden Market, before he died in 1948. Aaron’s four sons then continued the business until the mid-1960s, followed by two – and possibly three – more generations after that. Bryan’s son Sam and nephew (also an Aaron) joined a few years ago.
The big challenge for Porters Foliage today is to adapt to a major shift in the market for cut foliage since the pandemic. Bryan describes Covid as “a devastating time for our industry”, and the supplier only survived by borrowing large sums of money and “being determined”.
Bryan says London has changed massively due to remote working.
And this shift, combined with the increased cost of flowers and labour, has seen around a quarter of the capital’s flower retailers close since the pandemic. This made a big dent in the Porters’ customer base.
The supplier’s main customers over the years have been traditional high-street retailers. But in the past two decades, many have moved into industrial units – or their own homes – to concentrate on key clients, contract work, and events.
However, out of adversity comes opportunity. The trend is for smaller product volumes and more diversity. And Bryan says the opportunities lie in being accessible to a wider audience. The Porters Foliage online shop helps in this respect.
Over the next few years, Bryan’s main ambition is to get the company “out of debt and back on a growth path”. “I am always looking forward,” he says. “Ultimately, my goal is to leave the business in a good position to survive another 100 years – if the next generations want to take on that challenge.” fpj
ABOVE—The display in one of the company’s two units at NCGM TOP—Bryan Porter with son Sam (right) and nephew Aaron (left)
Analysis
A new berry BEHEMOTH
Agroberries’ acquisition of BerryWorld has created the second-largest berry company in the world. Michael Barker explains how the deal came about and what it means for the UK and global markets
What has been officially announced?
Global berry grower-marketer Agroberries announced in September that it had acquired BerryWorld Group, Europe’s largest berry marketer. The deal has created the second-largest berry company in the world, with an annual output of 150,000 tonnes and over 3,000ha of own production, as well as associated growers in 30 countries. No price for the acquisition has been disclosed. It follows last year’s acquisition by Agroberries of a minority stake in BerryWorld’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) businesses.
LEFT—Adam
Olins
OPPOSITE—Agroberries and BerryWorld have created one of the world’s largest soft-fruit companies
How did the deal come about?
BerryWorld chief executive Adam Olins tells FPJ that BerryWorld was initially approached by several interested parties in late 2020. Following discussions with a select number, BerryWorld decided that the Agroberries team was the best fit for the future. Agroberries took a minority investment in BerryWorld in 2023 and completed the full group acquisition a year later. “All parties have since enjoyed working together and agree that the businesses are highly complementary in nature,” he explains, adding that there was a mutual awareness and respect of each other’s businesses prior to the initial discussions, but there was no previous commercial interaction.
What makes the two companies a good fit?
Olins says the deal brings together a world-class portfolio of berry genetics, a broad prod-
uct mix, and geographical scale, which provides opportunities for everyone in the supply chain, from breeders to growers, employees, retail partners and consumers. “We feel there are shared values and similar mindsets between the two businesses, with a positive cultural alignment,” Olins says. He points out that both Agroberries and BerryWorld have three decades of experience in the berry industry and bring together different strengths and areas of expertise, from both a geographical and a supply chain perspective.
How will the combined operation benefit business in different territories?
Agroberries has extensive agronomic expertise and experience of the South American and North American markets, while BerryWorld brings an awardwinning genetic portfolio and growing and marketing expertise across the EMEA and APAC regions. That gives the combined
Michael Barker
Through our partnership with Agroberries we hope to unlock new opportunities to bring better-tasting berries to our UK retailers
company widespread northern and southern hemisphere coverage as it looks to grow its berry business across the world.
How about from a breeding perspective?
Both Agroberries and BerryWorld have their own proprietary breeding programmes, suggesting many opportunities for shared learning and collaboration. Olins notes that the combination of the two businesses also extends the collective genetic offering to include industry-leading proprietary and exclusive berry varieties. This means a wider pool of award-winning fruit for both growers and retailers.
What will it mean for day-to-day operations at BerryWorld, and is this the end of the BerryWorld name?
BerryWorld insists that ongoing business is expected to remain unchanged, but of course there will be more joint strategising. BerryWorld and Agroberries directors recently met in Peru and were also
present together at Fruit Attraction in Madrid as plans for the two businesses got underway. Olins says it is too early to give a definitive timescale on how long the integration process will take, but says a 100-day ops plan is already in progress, and a series of strategic management meetings are in the diary. In terms of the name, BerryWorld is expected to retain its name in all territories except the US, Canada and Mexico, where Berry Fresh has a presence.
What could it mean for the supply of berries to the UK? Could we see berries from different sources sold in Britain?
In the short term, it is unlikely there will be any changes to the sourcing countries that UK shoppers are used to seeing on shelves, as Agroberries is already a supplier to the UK market. But things could change in future: “Through our partnership with Agroberries we hope to unlock new opportunities to bring better-tasting berries to our UK retailers and will assess our combined genetic offer, production plans and commercial footprint
to bring the best-in-season berries to market in the most sustainable way,” Olins explains. He adds that the company will be assessing market opportunities over the coming months to identify a pipeline for innovation for the UK market and all other markets it supplies. “Conversations between our commercial teams are already underway to share knowledge and expertise,” he says.
Following Driscoll’s acquisition of Berry Gardens, this is another example of a British berry business now under overseas ownership. What’s driving this trend and can we expect to see more?
There’s little doubt that the large UK consumer market – with well-established supply chains and huge, experienced supermarkets – is seen as attractive to overseas buyers. Olins points out that while BerryWorld has British origins, it had already scaled to become a significant player in Europe and an emergent business within the EMEA and APAC territories. Other leading British fresh produce businesses also have well-established operations overseas. “Consolidation, overall, is a significant trend across the produce industry and we expect this to continue, not just within the UK market, but also globally, as companies seek to extend their reach, retain their profitability, and compete,” Olins says. “We have realised over time that we operate in a global marketplace, competing for the same product, and in our case, the acquisition does give us considerable scale, which is increasingly important.” fpj
Interview
ADVANCING British berries
Asplins PO has quietly joined the big leagues of British berry supply with a strategy of continual improvement and growth. Michael Barker reports
Michael Barker
In the highly competitive world of modern berry supply, clear strategic thinking and the ability to produce topclass fruit against a backdrop of industry challenges is key.
It’s fair to say Kent-based producer organisation Asplins PO has found a formula for success. Over the past decade, growth has been consistent and impressive. The business has steadily risen up the FPJ Big 50 Companies rankings to reach 33rd place in the 2024 edition, with sales of £127.9 million. You wouldn’t bet against it climbing again in future editions either, with turnover projected to top £140mn in the next year.
Chief operating officer Chris Rose puts the rise predominantly down to expanded production. But thanks to a combination of higher yields due to efficiencies and new techniques, this year’s double-digit sales hike has actually been achieved with no increase in growing area. Growth in premium, top-tier fruit sales has also boosted the bottom line.
While Asplins technically represents all fruit, the output from the PO’s nine members these days is 99 per cent berries. The group only has one topfruit grower, whose fruit the PO markets through Worldwide Fruit, as well
as some cherry production. But strawberries (20,000 tonnes), raspberries (5,000t), blueberries (550t) and blackberries (250t) make up the bulk of its portfolio.
“I think that fundamentally we have some strong growers with an appetite to grow their businesses. They are supported by the PO both in terms of the grant [funding] and marketing opportunities,” Rose says. “It has been a strong sector, but clearly we perform better than some within that sector.”
Underpinning the growth, there’s been a certain amount of new varietal development. The group is part of the James Hutton Institute’s raspberry breeding programme and members trial fruit from many other open breeding programmes.
Succeeding as a PO
The future of POs in post-Brexit Britain has been under scrutiny for years amid ongoing uncertainty
over UK government support. With the current funding set to dry up at the end of 2025, there has, as yet, been no replacement announced by the new Labour government. This despite promises made by Rishi Sunak’s outgoing administration.
“It is a big concern, because we are now towards the back end of 2024 and Defra has still not come up with a replacement scheme,” Rose says. “We are now lobbying hard for an extension to that scheme. But at the moment they are saying they’re waiting for a steer from the minister, and of course the minister has plenty of things on his plate.”
Rose insists that even the nightmare scenario of all funding being cut would not represent an existential crisis for Asplins, but it would put the group at a competitive disadvantage to growers in the EU, where PO takeup and funding is strong. It would also stymie the soft-fruit sector’s ability to invest, with grant funding having supported the moves into polytunnels, tabletop systems and substrates.
“The next phase of capital requirement is to drive the automation revolution, and when it does reach a stage where it is fully effective, it is going to take a vast amount of money,” Rose observes.
“We need strong, resilient businesses to be in a position to take advantage of those opportunities. And I think the PO scheme does help with that resilience.”
There have been suggestions that PO money could be replaced by competitive grant funding, but Rose stresses that does not give growers multi-year guarantees they will be successful with applications, making future planning very difficult. The loss of a PO scheme could also make it harder for smaller growers to collaborate.
Focus on exports and innovation
Asplins sees part of its future growth linked to exports, with members such as Chambers having made regular appearances at international trade events. “Climate change is affecting parts of Europe much more than us,” Rose points out. “Germany, for example, is on the back foot in soft-fruit production –
they’re still growing in the soil, and they’re not in a strong position to move rapidly into the sort of intensive production we have. So I think there will be a shortage of fruit across Europe in years to come, and we should be capitalising on that.”
Exploring the export markets could also be a way of relieving some of the margin pressure that’s been heaped on the soft-
OPPOSITE—Chris Rose is COO at Asplins PO LEFT & BELOW—New Forest Fruit has been trialling a new growing system featuring rotational tabletops
fruit sector over the past few years. While supermarkets are finally responding to production cost pressure with increased returns, a number of businesses have gone under, and profitability across the sector remains strained.
Rose says this has been a better, more stable year overall, but profitability hasn’t been helped by the fact that supply and demand haven’t been in perfect balance. Blueberry prices have been lower due to excess crop on the market, while August saw an oversupply of strawberries as growers have moved away from growing Junebearers to everbearers.
Staying on top means innovating in as many ways as possible, and Asplins members are certainly doing their bit. For example, PO funding has enabled New Forest Fruit to gain efficiencies through a new growing system in the form of rotational tabletops, effectively giving the grower eight rows where previously there were five. “It’s a very exciting, innovative system and a step change in terms of what you can produce in a given area of tunnels,” Rose explains.
Several growers in the group have been using Saga Robotics’ autonomous UV spraying system, while New Forest is working as a trial partner with US firm Tortuga AgTech. Asplins is also involved in four Innovate UK projects focused on biological control of threats such as SWD and raspberry aphid.
The future looks bright for Asplins, which isn’t revealing a turnover goal but rather is aiming for “a continuation of organic growth”. Despite the myriad challenges of weather, pests, disease, funding and labour, Rose believes the opportunities are plentiful. And at a time when rivals such as Berry Gardens and BerryWorld have come under the umbrella of huge foreign owners, the Asplins model perhaps has an added point of difference.
“POs have given a lifeline to smaller growers who wouldn’t have survived without that collaboration, and I think that will continue,” Rose says. “Customers want a 52-week supply of berries and Asplins has been nimble in finding ways to do that. There’s been a move led by the discounters to work more directly with growers rather than large marketing desks.”
In an age where large-scale operators dominate the supply of UK soft fruit, Asplins can now very much count itself as a major player – yet it still retains the feel of a quintessential British grower. fpj
Fruit Attraction
Dispatches from Madrid
FPJ rounds up the key news from Fruit Attraction 2024, including supply chain collaboration in soft fruit and advances in tech and varietal development
More collaboration in berries
UK berry supply chains have become more coordinated – and, in some ways, less competitive – in the past couple of seasons as fruit shortages have become more common.
This is the assessment of major independent producer Chambers at a challenging period for the sector characterised by surging production costs, climate volatility and patchy availability. Security of supply is now a hot topic.
The producer told FPJ that against this challenging backdrop, berry producers have focused on developing more collaborative relationships – both internally, and with other growers, breeders, propagators and retailers.
“Because there is more demand than supply at the moment, we can now be more collaborative,” says group CEO Vicky Rye (pictured). “There is not enough fruit, so why fight? We can make the sector better for everybody.”
Chambers’ commercial manager Ben Norman (pictured) said some UK supermarkets are starting to facilitate group conversations among their supply bases.
They are inviting competing UK suppliers to meet up, share knowledge and experience, and speak to breeders – “to get the plant material correct and feed back on how it needs to be grown across the whole supply base, irrelevant of volumes and competition, to produce exactly the product the customer wants”.
Production director Salih Hodzhov says this is a “big change for the industry”, stressing that it is “still very early days”. But he sees it as a positive step for the sector as a whole.
“We [the suppliers] don’t feel like competitors in those meetings, and I think it’ll work better for everybody. We’re all aiming for the same thing – to deliver consistent fruit for the customer. It’s what we’re all here for.”
Fresh innovations from BASF
Vegetable seed company BASF Nunhems unveiled a raft of new innovations in Madrid, including more rugose-resistant tomato varieties, two new watermelon concepts, and an expansion of its Agrigenio precision agriculture platform.
BASF now has an extensive portfolio of ToBRFV-resistant tomato varieties in nearly all types, according to Ester Serrano, (pictured opposite) the breeder’s tomato lead in EMEA.
Highlights include Cabosur, Caboluna and Tobriva vine tomatoes, launched in 2023 and 2024. The first two are suited to Spanish production, while the third is for Morocco.
In addition, there are the Azovian and Miravian pear tomatoes, the Daivion cherry tomato, and the Dreampower rootstock, as well as Vitalion and Culturion (cherry vine tomatoes), and Marvellion (a cocktail variety).
Alongside tomatoes, watermelons were a major focus for BASF at the show. The breeder’s Dual Pur-
pose range includes watermelon varieties suitable for both the wholehead and fresh-cut markets.
This season, BASF has added two new varieties to the range, Amazo and Zenium, to sit alongside existing varieties Bazman and Harmonium.
All four have three common characteristics: firmer flesh, a crunchy texture, and “exceptional” flavour. There are medium-sized, weighing 4-7kg. Between them, they cover the whole growing season.
In addition, BASF has launched a miniature watermelon weighing around 2kg called Takemi. It has micro-seeds, black skin, and internal quality “that matches retail expectations”.
2024 is the first year of commercialisation for Takemi, and Pérez says there are “some important programmes being agreed for next season”.
Last but not least, BASF has also expanded its precision agriculture tool to help growers make sustainable decisions and ensure high yields with fewer inputs.
The platform collects data from sensors, weather stations and other sources. And it is now available to growers of onions and potatoes – as well as tomatoes, table grapes, and other crops.
Tomra strengthens AI tech
Tomra Food used the show to unveil the latest advancements in its LUCAi AI sorting and grading solution, which will soon be available for citrus.
The company also highlighted the importance of its new headquarters in Valencia in bringing the company closer to its customer base, plus the Tomra 5A, a bulk sorting solution for whole products like potatoes, carrots and peppers.
Announcing plans to launch of LUCAi for citrus, David del Castillo, regional sales director for southern Europe, said: “The citrus industry clearly needs more efficient and user-friendly sorting systems. Given the wide variety of citrus fruits, and the numerous varieties within each type, LUCAi Citrus will play a pivotal role.”
The new LUCAi citrus application will integrate Tomra’s latest advancements in AI technology based on deep learning. Developed by a team of leading scientists, engineers, researchers and industry experts, LUCAi uses pre-trained models to teach computers how to process data, including complex image patterns to achieve unprecedented sorting accuracy across an expanding range of fruits.
Pest problems in peppers
Spanish pepper growers are investing heavily in biological pest control to manage an outbreak of tobacco thrips in the greenhouses of Almería.
Native to south-east Asia, tobacco thrips (thrips parvispinus) was first detected in Spain in 2017, in greenhouses growing ornamental plants. In 2023, the pest reached pepper greenhouses in Almería on the south coast of Spain.
Last year, the Official College of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Almería (COITAAL) developed a guide to identify, prevent, and control the pest. The organisation warned that its damage can be “devastating” since it “stops the plants’ growth, causing the abortion of buds and flowers and deforming apical shoots”.
Rafael Roldán (pictured),
commercial director of Almeríabased pepper growers cooperative Ejidomar, confirmed that some pepper producers in the region have lost crop as a result of the outbreak.
This has not been the case for Ejidomar, but the supplier had to sell roughly 25 per cent more crop as Class II last season due to quality issues on the peppers’ skin.
Speaking to FPJ at Fruit Attraction, Roldán said Ejidomar is in discussions with UK retailers’ technical teams to help manage the situation. But he does not expect more flexibility on crop specifications unless there is a crop shortage.
As an EU country, Spain is subject to increasingly strict rules on pesticide use, and Roldán says increasing the number of beneficial insects in greenhouses to control pests is becoming a major cost for growers.
This cost pressure is compounded by rising costs in a whole host of other areas, such as fertilisers, plastic for greenhouses, cardboard packaging, and labour. fpj
PRODUCE partnership
BELOW—The campaign aims to strengthen appreciation for EU produce in the UK
Veryan Bliss, an advisor to the EU’s ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign, tells Fred Searle about how the initiative aims to bolster demand for European produce in the UK
What are the key messages and goals of the campaign?
More Than Only Food & Drink’ is a dedicated communication campaign to champion the outstanding qualities of EU food and beverage products to UK food industry professionals. It highlights the continent’s food safety, quality, authenticity, and sustainability credentials. The project has been developed to further strengthen awareness and appreciation among UK food businesses of the key characteristics that make EU food and beverage products stand out from other sources.
The awareness drive will focus specifically on six product categories, including fresh and frozen
fruits and vegetables. Rather than focusing on specific fruits and vegetables, the campaign is highlighting best practice across the EU’s member states to showcase the quality and safety of EU produce, as well as the ambitious sustainability targets the EU is working hard to meet.
Brexit has increased the cost, complexity and time involved in importing fresh produce from the EU. How can this be mitigated?
Planning and partnerships are absolutely key. It is critical that product programmes are planned in good time, and the same goes for seed. If seed needs to be imported, this can take up to
six weeks, whereas pre-Brexit, it could be delivered within 48 hours. This delay is causing significant challenges for propagators and producers.
Di culties arise when many di erent suppliers of various products use one set of transport (groupage). So, if one of those products has incorrect paperwork, then the whole vehicle could be held up for inspection. This creates significant delays for everyone with product on the vehicle.
My advice is to use experienced freight forwarders and customs clearing agents that are familiar with post-Brexit regulations. They can help ensure all paperwork is correctly filed and that shipments are compliant with both UK and EU regulations.
How can EU production countries maintain or improve their position in the UK market amid rising competition from countries such as Morocco?
EU production countries must maintain their point of di erence by being nimble and providing a point of di erence with high-quality, flavoursome, and fresh product. They should provide not only entry point products, but a portfolio covering the requirements and expectations of UK consumers. They must capitalise on their proximity to the UK for freshness of deliveries.
From a government perspective, it is essential that su cient product inspectors are available in both the UK and Europe when needed to ensure that checks and paperwork can be completed e ciently and in a timely manner. This ensures the safety, integrity and quality of the products is maintained. Products stopped for checks at the border must be swiftly assessed and released.
It is worth noting that EU countries don’t operate quotas when supplying the UK, which can be impactful from both a volume and a cost perspective. fpj
Fred Searle
Leafy salads buck the trend
Prepared salads have seen consistent sales growth this year, at a time when shoppers have been cutting back spending amid the ongoing costof-living crisis. Kristian Bayford reports
Kristian Bayford
Leafy salads – which include lettuce, baby leaf, rocket and spinach – have long been the unsung heroes of our plates, often playing a supporting role while trendier ingredients steal the spotlight. But as health-conscious eating gathers pace, salad leaves seem to be having a moment.
Although growers have been challenged by increased rainfall this year, prepared salads have seen consistent sales growth – at a time when shoppers have continued to make more affordable purchasing decisions.
According to Kantar, the leafy salad market grew by 8.3 per cent in value and by 7.4 per cent in volume in the year to 1 September, largely driven by an increase in the frequency of shopping trips.
For its part, leading salad brand Florette says it has sold 19.5 million more packs in the UK this year, equating to a 3.5 per cent uplift in volume.
“Spinach is the best-selling leaf in the bagged salad category, with pre-packed spinach selling 70mn packs annually due to its versatility and health credentials,” says Polly Davies, Florette’s head of category for UK and Ireland.
“These shoppers have made an additional 25mn trips to purchase this year, showing the continued demand for salad.”
Meanwhile, there have been some shifts in consumer preference for different types of wholehead lettuce – most notably, an increase in sales of little gem and romaine.
Davies says milder and sweeter options, such as iceberg and mixed leaf bags, have been star performers this year, with 12.3mn more combined packs sold.
“This has been supported through competitive pricing on pre-packed iceberg, and promotional support on key mixed leaf bags, which has encour-
BELOW—Sales of pre-packed spinach have been strong
aged shoppers to repurchase,” she explains.
Shoppers are still willing to pay more for products that are taste-led and save them time, Davies adds, with salad kit volumes also up 14 per cent compared to last year.
According to PDM Produce, gem lettuce is now a larger category than celery, and the second-biggest within the leafy wholehead sector after iceberg.
The supplier’s category manager Michelle Grout says: “Celery and wholehead iceberg has been in decline, driven by price differential versus little gem and a big focus on loyalty cards and promotions through gem and romaine lettuce.”
When it comes to varietal
development, Nunhems customer marketing specialist Nasir Ahmed notes that disease resistance, increased yield, and output traits such as appearance and shelf-life are all important trends.
“We reinvest somewhere in the region of 20 per cent of our profit back into breeding and R&D,” he says. “And we have some mildewresistant iceberg coming through, as commercial varieties, which we are very excited about. This helps the grower win the battle against the weather.”
Overall, there is optimism in the leafy salads category. And it looks like innovation will continue to focus on adding value and convenience to each occasion, through products such as salad bowls and salad kits. FPJ
Leafy salads in numbers
+8.3% +7.4
% Value Volume
Purchases
• Leafy salad sales grew by 8.3% in value, driven largely by trip frequency. Volume rose by 7.4%.
• Lettuce saw the strongest sales growth (+22.5%), but only rocket grew across all KPIs.
• Tesco, Lidl and Sainsbury’s were the top retailers, but Iceland and Lidl grew fastest.
/ Laura.Fry@kantar.com
52 w/e 1 September 2024
Baby leaf decline drives consumption drop
• There were 7.6bn leafy salad occasions, down 4% year on year (-30.3mn occasions).
• The decline was mainly driven by an 11% drop in baby leaf consumption.
Dinner time is salad time
• Leafy salads are eaten most often at the evening meal, aligning with veg in general.
• The top reason for choosing leafy salads is practicality, followed by health.
Most popular among older consumers
• Leafy salads are particularly popular among older consumers, especially ‘empty nesters’, who represent 26% of consumers. Baby leaf and rocket are the group’s favourite types.
/ Laura.Fry@kantar.com
52 w/e 1 September 2024
Retailer expenditure share Usage
UK lettuce imports by country (percentage share)
Av. SKUs per price band in leafy salads
Source: ITC (2023)
Source: BG Insights, week 42 (2024)
Source: Kantar till roll data, 52 w/e 1 September 2024
South African grapes
Grape expectations
Leading South African table grape producers and marketers say they will maintain their strong relationship with UK importers this season.
This year, South Africa celebrates 130 years of table grape supply to the UK, making it the oldest and most consistent supplier of the fruit to Britain. And with the new season getting underway in November, all indications are that South African growers will harvest and pack a quality crop.
From the end of November to the end of February, South Africa is expected to ship 72-76 million cartons of table grapes to all world markets. This would mark continued production growth, but not at the brisk pace of a few years ago.
As was the case last season, the UK and the EU are expected to receive the lion’s share of total exports. The EU received 42mn cartons and the UK 14.6mn in the 2023/24 season. Although it is still early days, South Africa is expected to ship more or less the same volume to these two markets in the 2024/25 campaign.
The right varieties
Rising production costs, along with other expenses, are reported to have made growers a bit more careful with the risks they take. And in the vineyards of the Cape there is some concern among growers
around planting the right varieties.
This is understandable given that at any one time there are reported to be around 50 new varieties promoted by breeding programmes. As well as managing vineyards, growers must maintain their own trial plots to ensure they make the right varietal choices.
Despite this explosion in varietal innovation, Leon Viljoen, a leading grower from the Hex River Valley, says there are perhaps only five or six varieties that can be planted with confidence at present. He points out that growers cannot afford to take the kinds of risks they did in the past.
Over the past decade, the South African industry has switched from older varieties to a number of new cultivars, considered to be among the best in the world. Alongside Crimson Seedless, which remains the leading variety in South Africa, three new-generation varieties now dominate plantings. They are Autumn Crisp, Sweet Globe and Sweet Celebration.
Logistical challenges
Ultimately, smooth logistics and port operations will again determine just how successful they will be. There have already been warnings to stonefruit growers of disruptions at South African container ports, especially Cape Town. Table grapes are also likely to be affected given that the two products share logistics and port facilities during the same period.
Unsurprisingly, there have been early season plans to support the industry with alternative shipping. Conventional reefer specialist Anlin Shipping says that from late November to mid-March, 17 conventional reefers vessels are scheduled to sail between South Africa and the UK and Europe.
These vessels are expected to carry around 90,000 tonnes of fruit, equivalent to 400 reefer containers. This would ease pressure on the Port of Cape Town, helping it cope better with the combined burden of stonefruit, table grape, and early apple and pear exports. Meanwhile, Namibian grape exporters last season began shipping through the Port of Walvis Bay, with volumes expected to increase this year.
Opportunities for brands
Another interesting development is an emerging debate around grape brands and their effectiveness in creating consumer demand. The category encompasses a range of varieties, and some believe brands could simplify it for both growers and consumers.
Varietal considerations, logistical challenges, and the potential for brands are all front of mind as South African table grape exporters prepare to supply the UK market for the 130th year. Fred Meintjes reports ABOVE—Rising costs have
Recently, certain breeders have created their own brands, but any successful consumer brand would have to include a range of early, mid and late-season varieties, with exactly the same characteristics, colour and taste, to ensure product consistency. fpj
South African raisins
LEFT—South Africa has more than doubled its raisin production over the past decade
OPPOSITE TOP—The grapes are dried on long raised nets
OPPOSITE BELOW—
Growers are putting great emphasis on sustainability
THE RESPONSIBLE CHOICE
The growth of South Africa’s raisin industry has gone hand in hand with a greater commitment to transforming lives, writes Michael Barker
Michael Barker
As pretty much every superhero movie in recent memory reminds us, “with great power comes great responsibility”. While the mantra might have become cliché, its message is highly relevant at a time when Big Farming is under greater scrutiny than ever before.
This year, South Africa’s raisin industry has legitimately entered the big leagues of international supply, with production forecast to smash through the 100,000tonne barrier for the first time. The 150 per cent rise on a decade
ago is reward for growers’ investment in increased plantings and new cultivars. It catapults the industry up alongside heavyweight suppliers such as Turkey, Iran and the US.
With that higher profile comes an even greater expectation that the raisins are produced with care for both environment and communities. On both those fronts, South Africa has been working hard to ensure it is at the pinnacle of global supply.
The natural environment of the Northern Cape, with its almost desert-like conditions, helps growers produce near-zero residue product, while the recent adoption of new techniques such as raised netting for drying has improved both quality and food safety.
When it comes to the broad theme of social responsibility, the South African raisin industry has
put a huge emphasis on transformation, which is regarded as essential to the stability and progress of the wider country’s democracy. Transformation is defined as the development and implementation of appropriate programmes to support emerging black growers to transition to commercial production, as well as extending their market access opportunities.
It’s a vital topic given the difficult history of South Africa, and industry body Raisins SA has taken it upon itself to redress the balance through a series of projects that have quite literally changed lives for the better.
Driving its work is transformation manager Simoné Oliphant. The economics and econometrics graduate from the University of the Free State started as an administrative clerk with Raisins SA but was quickly appointed to
her current position and has since overseen a huge increase in spend on transformation initiatives that have created an established pathway for emerging growers to play their part in the industry’s growth.
Raisins SA’s charter requires it to spend some 20 per cent of its total statutory levy on transformation activities, of which three-fifths (60 per cent) is allocated to enterprise development, and nearly a fifth each on skills development (18 per cent) and management of the transformation portfolio (17 per cent). The remainder is spent on socio-economic development.
Each of those focus areas touches upon a wide range of sub-categories, designed to give growers the best chance of success. Enterprise development, for example, provides market access and financial support to emerging raisin producers, offering them a revolving credit facility and assistance with harvesting and pruning.
A holistic approach to vineyard development, meanwhile, covers areas such as soil preparation, plant materials, fertilisers, poles, wires and drainage. And training and support helps take emerging growers to full commercialisation.
Oliphant has massively boosted the available transformation budget by seeking out a series of partnerships and funding opportunities over the past three years, both with private organisations such as banks, and with government.
“We are still looking for funding but the number of projects we are implementing now compared to three to four years ago is astonishing,” she says. “We have tripled in terms of spend, and if you look three to four years back, we were planting only around 2ha [through our projects]. Now it’s an average of 10-20ha per year. It’s not easy but it’s been so worth it.”
Oliphant takes a hands-on approach to her work, applying a personal touch that brings true benefit to farmers looking to take their chance: “What I don’t think transformation managers in any other commodity can say is that I literally get to help each and every one of my farmers within a financial cycle, whether that be with training or enterprise development,” she explains.
Oliphant works with around 150 black farmers, of which twothirds belong to the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative, which makes it easier to organise training sessions through the group. As part of a push to ensure the raisin producers of the future are still coming through, there is also a particular focus on upskilling and training women into more senior positions.
The raisin industry’s innovative Vine Academy and Model Farm play a key role in the educational and training aspects of Raisins SA’s work, helping to develop both current and future producers. “Training used to be unstructured, but with the birth of the academy, the quality can be controlled and that’s where all the accredited training takes place now,” Oliphant points out.
The academy, which is open to everyone, but offers full bursaries to all previously disadvantaged farmers, is set to welcome its latest intake of around 20 students in January. Oliphant explains that eventually the goal is to host around 50-60. There are also plans to expand the academy and include a wider variety of crops, boosting both farmers from other sectors and raisin producers looking to diversify their land.
As the name suggests, transformation projects profoundly change lives – but that comes with a particular pressure that means
Raisins SA only invests where there’s a clear path to success. “If there’s no business plan or financial model, then we don’t go ahead,” Oliphant explains. “The financial model and plan should tell us the viability and success of the project. That’s where pipeline development is so important as we can see exactly what we need for a project to succeed.”
It’s not all handouts and free cash either, as farmers themselves are on the hook at an ever-increasing level as projects progress. They might contribute just 20 per cent of the project cost in the first year as Raisins SA foots the majority of the bills, but that rises to 50 and then 70 per cent in subsequent years as farmers find their feet. The objective is to build sustainable, lasting businesses, and that’s why a further key strand of the industry body’s support is around helping with commercialisation and market access.
It’s all about doing the responsible thing and ensuring equal opportunities to those that historically did not have them. It also means there are enough new growers coming through to guarantee that the production and export momentum of the past decade can continue apace. fpj
The Place to go for frozen fruit
As demand for frozen fruit grows, Kristian Bayford hears how Place UK has embraced innovation during its 70 years in business to stay ahead of the curve and maximise product quality
Kristian Bayford
When the modern frozen food industry was born in 1924, few could have predicted the great strides in innovation that would follow in the sector.
Since American entrepreneur Clarence Birdseye developed his quick-freezing method exactly 100 years ago, there have been continued efforts to boost the quality and variety of frozen foods available. And techniques such as individual quick freezing (IQF) have improved the preservation of food texture, flavour,
and nutritional value.
In fruit in particular, consumers are starting to appreciate the convenience and value of frozen more than ever. “The UK retail market for frozen fruit continues to grow faster than overall grocery sales, and this is partly down to it being healthy and easy to use, reducing waste, and providing good value for money,” says Liam Bresitz, interim commercial director at Place UK.
‘Ahead of the curve’
The Norfolk-based business is a major grower and processor of soft fruit and one of the key players in Britain’s frozen fruit market, specialising in IQF products.
The family company, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, is part of Driscoll’s (formerly Berry Gardens). From Church Farm in Tunstead, northeast of Norwich, the firm supplies both frozen and fresh produce to a range of supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S, Waitrose and Co-op.
Meanwhile, its Cambridgeshirebased sister company Phaseolus is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of frozen beans and pulses – for use in ready meals, soups, salads, and more, both branded and own-label. The two businesses’
other frozen lines include pasta, rice, grains, and fruit smoothie mixes and purees.
In addition to Place UK’s own production of berries, cherries and rhubarb, fruit is sourced from external producers in Britain and around the world. Imported fruits include mango, pineapple and banana.
“Over the years, we’ve adapted and grown, thanks to forwardthinking decisions like adding IQF freezing in the 1980s and embracing new farming techniques,” says Bresitz.
“[Previous MD] Tim Place helped modernise our operations. And today – led by Pieter van Egmond, and supported by
OPPOSITE TOP—
Place UK supplies a range of frozen and fresh fruit
OPPOSITE
BOTTOM— Liam
Bresitz (left) with Pieter van Egmond
BELOW—The company grows its own strawberries, among other fruits
the fourth generation of the family, Ben Place – we’re still pushing boundaries and staying ahead of the curve.
“From supplying raspberries to packing smoothie mixes for your local store, our focus on quality and innovation remains as strong as ever. As we look back on these incredible 70 years, we’re excited for what’s to come.”
A family affair
Initially trading as R & J M Place Ltd, the company was formed in 1954 under the leadership of John Place, who grew berries on the family farm – initially for sale to jam, yoghurt, ice cream and dessert manufacturers.
Then, with the fall of the Berlin Wall in the 1980s, the business found itself in competition with cheap imports of jam fruit from Eastern Europe. John pivoted and decided to install an IQF factory and cold stores, allowing Place UK to sell fruit to a higherend dessert market.
In the early part of that decade, John’s son Tim joined the family business, fresh out of university, becoming the third generation to do so. He spent most of his time in the engineering department and eventually became operations manager, before taking over as MD in 2000.
Under Tim’s leadership, the company rebranded as Place UK.
And over the next few years, the team worked on several projects, including expanding the freezer factory and adding a retail packhouse in 2015.
Six years later, in 2021, Tim stepped down as MD to become group chairman. He was replaced by Van Egmond, who was promoted from farm director.
Innovative approach
With such a long history behind it, Place UK has been innovating in frozen fruit for decades. Indeed, what sets its products apart is that they are ready to eat and require no further processing. In contrast to block-freezing methods, the IQF process also helps the fruit retain its shape and colour, Bresitz says.
“It’s a fairly simple process and reflects what you may do at home,” he explains. “Fresh fruit is quick-frozen to retain its natural goodness, then packed according to need.
“Dried pulses are soaked, cooked, then quick-frozen, ready to be used by our food-processing partners as ingredients in finished products.”
When it comes to NPD, Place UK also recently launched a range of award-winning healthy smoothies under a supermarket’s own label, “with added value including gut health” – innovation that Bresitz says the company is proud of.
Maintaining continuity of supply can be tricky at times, and Bresitz reports that Place UK has not been immune to the sector’s well-reported challenges with logistics in recent years. Nevertheless, the business has been able to plan ahead and ensure all customers are fully supplied, he says.
Meanwhile, sustainability is a priority for the business, and var-
ious measures have been taken to limit the firm’s environmental impact and also attract enough seasonal workers.
On the environmental side, the business recently expanded its solar installation from 280kWh to 1,350kWh, equating to 38 per cent of the site’s total electricity usage. Place UK also won the award for Best Farming Innovation Adopter at this year’s Norfolk Rural Business Awards – for its investment in a water source heat pump. The installation heats the supplier’s 2.2ha greenhouse, helping to extend its growing season for strawberries.
When it comes to seasonal labour, Bresitz says the company prides itself on its facilities for workers – including on-site accommodation, a shop, canteen, basketball court, football pitch and gym, as well as 24/7 support from welfare officers. Many of the supplier’s more than 500 workers return year after year, Bresitz says.
With the mission of supplying “healthy, tasty and sustainable” produce to customers old and new, the frozen fruit manufacturer certainly isn’t standing still. And Bresitz says Place UK is on a journey to growing the business, while providing a workplace “where our colleagues can flourish”. fpj
The issue of waste is back on the agenda in the UK. More than 30 businesses have written to environment secretary Steve Reed calling for mandatory reporting of wasted food, including some of the biggest food producers and retailers. The letter was signed by multiple supermarkets, including Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer.
Last year, the Conservative government confirmed it was ditching plans to force large companies to report figures on food waste, opting instead to encourage more voluntary reporting.
This despite even Tesco, as well as organisations like Wrap and food waste experts advising the government, urging it to adopt mandatory reporting.
With a new government in power, promising vague change in numerous areas, all eyes are on the Labour Party for glimpses of something different. The previous Conservative government was dogged by corruption scandals. An investigation by Transparency International UK found corruption “red flags” concerning 135 Covid contracts awarded by the UK government, worth a massive £15.3 billion.
Many in the new government
Will this government be just as rubbish on food waste?
have appeared bemused at the sudden outcry over ministers’ accepting free sports and concert tickets. While prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was eventually embarrassed into returning £6,000 worth of freebies, it was reported that the environment secretary had accepted nearly £2,000 in tickets and hospitality for a Chelsea game from bosses linked to Northumbrian Water. The Labour Party now stands accused of using “economically illiterate” analysis paid for by the water companies to argue against nationalisation, according to leading economist Sir Dieter Helm.
Meanwhile, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have been accused of misleading customers over their
front-of-store recycling schemes following an investigation that found that most soft plastic returned to stores was actually burned, which is rather of a waste of... everything.
Pressuring the government to adopt mandatory waste reporting is welcome, but sending a letter does seem a bit of a waste of paper – especially when you know an email, or a pair of e-tickets for Oasis, might do the trick just as well. fpj
Bushel Box
Fern Britton helps search for ‘Nans from Del Monte’
Canned fruit brand Del Monte has partnered with TV presenter and baking enthusiast Fern Britton to launch its new ‘Nans from Del Monte’ campaign.
The initiative – launched in time for National Baking Week on 14-20 October – revives the
brand’s iconic ‘Man from Del Monte’ campaign, but with the twist of a search for the nation’s most creative nans.
These grandmothers will not only share their favourite recipes, but also give their seal of approval to the brand’s recipe creations,
just as the famous ‘Man from Del Monte’ did in the 1980s.
The campaign calls on the public to nominate Britain’s best ‘Nans from Del Monte’ – grandmothers who have mastered the art of classic baking and are keen to share their beloved recipes with the next generation. These nans will help inspire families across the UK to reconnect with their culinary heritage, baking favourites such as Victoria sponge and apple crumble using Del Monte canned fruit.
Britton, the face of the campaign, will spearhead the search, encouraging consumers to enter their family matriarchs or themselves.
Five grandmothers will be shortlisted after the competition closes on 30 October and will go on to represent Del Monte as ambassadors for traditional baking, giving their seal of approval to the brand’s classic recipes.
Penrhos Spirits ‘saves 52,000 raspberries’ with new gin
Artisan gin brand Penrhos Spirits has been working with Herefordshire fruit growers to help save raspberries and tackle food waste.
Founders Charlie Turner and Dickie Williams, who both come from a farming background, noticed the amount of ‘perfectly imperfect’ fruit that was going to waste, having been declared unable to be sold to supermarkets.
From there, Penrhos’ Wonky Raspberry Gin was born – a small batch of high-quality gin, made of wonky raspberries, grain spirit and natural water, and packaged in a 100 per cent recycled aluminium bottle.
Penrhos said that by the end of this summer it had saved 52,000 raspberries, with the help of multiple farms across Herefordshire and shoppers nationwide buying the Wonky Raspberry Gin at Sainsbury’s.
The drinks firm cited data from LEAF showing that up to 20 per cent of raspberries go to waste every year. Thankfully, the rescued raspberries have made over 4,000 bottles of Wonky Raspberry Gin,
saving 1,680 punnets from going to waste.
Next year, Penrhos says it is aiming to save even more raspberries, as well as continuing its crusade for all alcohol brands, big and small, to bottle their spirits in more sustainable packaging. The company says its recycled aluminum bottles have improved its carbon footprint by 91 per cent.
The move is the latest by Penrhos Spirits, which last year kicked off a partnership with Oddbox that saw it create a ‘deliciously odd’ limited edition Cucumber and Apple Gin, made with wonky produce. fpj
TOP— Del Monte has reinvented its popular ‘Man from Del Monte’ slogan ABOVE— Raspberries are the focus of a new gin from Penrhos Spirits
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