Rushton's Greengrocer, part of the Thorogood Group which has been growing and selling fruit and vegetables since 1922, is present in all of London's three wholesale markets delivering dairy, ambient, and frozen products as well as fresh fruit and vegetables to the food service customers throughout London and the Home Counties. The company has also just invested in supplying fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and hot sauces. 
Will Thorogood, director said that they have always delivered to food service customers, and he is now seeing an increase in demand for deliveries from the wholesale side too. "On the wholesale side, we are seeing a trend for more deliveries of palletised produce. This enables us to give existing customers a better service as well as gain new customers. The hours of the wholesale markets are not convenient for everyone, especially our retail customers."
"We have seen changes in the restaurant industry in recent years, many have reduced the number of covers and open fewer days in the week to make it more profitable. The main problem has been labour, on both availability and cost. Increases in the minimum wage have been challenging and now restaurants and everyone else in the UK face an increase in National Insurance payments so it's all about to get even more expensive."
Many restaurants, especially those at the top end try to use British produce as much as possible, they like to name the growers of the produce on the menus.
"Naming the grower has become very common among the top restaurants, they are very keen to know what is in season and what new products and varieties are available. This has been done for a while with meat and fish, and we are now seeing it trending for fresh produce. For products such as asparagus, for example, the grower is named, consumers respond well to this and like the seasonality of the dishes."
There does have to be some balance with this as the price point of British produce and that of imported can differ and everyone is watching their profit margins.
"If this is done properly and the menu is truly seasonal then the prices are good as seasonal produce is cheaper than imported, but our British growers, like those around the world, are at the mercy of the weather. At the moment Yorkshire forced rhubarb and wild garlic are in season, in three weeks we will have the first British cucumbers, followed by tomatoes and peppers."
Zero waste to landfill certification
Earlier this month Rushton's announced they had achieved Zero Waste to Landfill Certification. "Our comprehensive waste management strategy ensures that all by-products are either reused, recycled, or composted, aligning with a commitment to a circular economy and minimising our environmental footprint. This is a requirement that will eventually come to everyone and feel we need to be at the forefront. We are also working with our growers to measure CO2 emissions and reduce them. This achievement builds on our recent success in attaining ISO 14001 certification, reflecting our ongoing commitment to environmental management and sustainability."
For more information:
Hannah Turner
Rushton's
Tel: +44 (0) 7495 850971
[email protected]
www.rushtonsgreengrocer.co.uk
