The business now boasts 200 refrigerated trucks, trailers and vans and a team of 1000 people handling 3000 tons of fruit and vegetables every week. One aspect of the company is FreshGro, "We started FreshGro after we were approached by disillusioned growers who found it difficult to enter the food service trade and were too small to be able to supply the supermarkets and were seeing a decline in the wholesale trade," explains David Burns, Managing Director.
Fresh Direct collaborate with the growers, providing the agronomy and technology and also the expertise of knowing what the market demands and which crops to grow. Burns explains that main aim of this part of the business is the high end products, the ones that you would not expect to source from the UK. These types of products are very popular with new up and coming brands who want something different but still British grown.
Another part of the business, a part which has seen very encouraging growth in recent years is FreshPrep. This was established two years ago, to complete the field to fork process within the company. FreshPrep is situated at the company's headquarters in Bicester, England. "This service is becoming very popular especially with fast growing top restaurant chains in places like London, these places work with the minimum of space, are very conscious of their footprint and need to ensure consistency in each restaurant. They are also looking for something different to create unique dishes."
By using Fresh Direct the food service companies can rely on hygiene, don't need to worry about getting rid of the waste and get consistency while also getting produce which is a bit more than run of the mill.
The Kitchen is the part of the company which adds the most value to the fruit and vegetables. Here the fruit and vegetables are turned into soups, sauces, pastas, char grilled and marinaded.
For more information:
David Burns
Fresh Direct
Tel: 0044 1869 365600
Email: david.burns@freshdirect.co.uk
www.freshdirect.co.uk