FGA is a grower owned business, formed in 2009 when Andrew Wallace brought together two of Chile’s most respected grower exporters, San Clemente and Gesex. Offices in the UK (Fruit Growers Alianza Ltd) and Europe (Fruit Growers Alliance BV) were formed to look after the interests of both growers and all customers by giving a local representation and facilitating direct and in-direct supply to retail customers.
Gesex and San Clemente are both growers of cherries in Chile, supplying fruit in to UK/Europe. There have been various collaborative visits to Chile from UK growers and vice versa to accelerate the learnings of all and develop the cherry business on a global basis. Growers working with growers is a fantastic partnership.
"As a result, in the past two years FGA have been working with some of those UK growers successfully developing sales of their fruit to customers across Europe," explains Jon Clark Managing Director. "When the cherry trees came in to bloom this year work began on developing a box and brand to support the amazing cherries produced in the UK. We consciously didn’t want to have the Union Jack all over the box. The flag is very important when selling in your own country but when we looked all around Europe at fruit coming from various countries around the world we noticed no other country focussed on their flag but a brand name and box design,” with the “Buddy’s” box we feel we have captured that.
The FGA growers not only produce an enviable group of varieties (lapins, kordia, regina, skeena, sweetheart) but they are also in the late producing regions giving supply from late July with a target to take the fruit in to September.
The Kordia produced in the UK is regarded by many in the cherry industry as being the “champagne of the cherry world”, this premium fruit attracts not only high values, but also a high demand, but it is not on it’s own as all other varieties deliver an amazing sweet taste.
“As the cherry season comes to an end for most in the Northern Hemisphere, ours is just beginning and we look forward to delivering this exceptional fruit to a number of European customers through FGA and other parts of the world with our San Clemente and Gesex offices," concludes Jon.
For more information:
Jon Clark
FGA
jon.clark@fgaltd.co.uk
www.fgaltd.co.uk
