Growing

The growers who run our nurseries control everything from temperature, humidity, irrigation and fertilisation.

Every aspect of our plants’ environment is fully controlled in our state-of-the-art greenhouses, where there’s an individual drip for every plant, carrying a carefully controlled supply of water and nutrients.

We don’t believe in pesticides, so we use effective cultural and biological control methods to protect our plants from pests and disease. To ensure the best quantity fruit, all our tomato and pepper plants are pollinated by bees.

We keep things sustainable – recycling irrigation and roof water, and re-using the by-products from heating the glasshouse to enrich the plants environment with CO2 – which is important in plant growth.

Every aspect of our plants’ environment is fully controlled in our state-of-the-art greenhouses

Packing and storage

We pre-pack and store our fresh produce to keep it in the best possible condition.

A dedicated packhouse

The three hundred people in our busy packhouse are dedicated to the care and packing of the produce to maintain shelf life and meet high expectations. Whether we’re flow wrapping, shrink wrapping, top sealing, bagging or palletising, we follow strict quality control procedures – making sure that our produce stays as fresh and as nutritious as possible right through to the end consumer.

Refrigerated storage

Our 4000m² of refrigerated storage is the start of a carefully controlled cool chain that maintains a constant temperature all along the line – avoiding sudden temperature changes and reducing the risk of dehydration. From the moment it’s harvested to being cooled, graded, pre-packed, stored and distributed, our produce stays fresh … just the way it should be.

The three hundred people in our busy packhouse are dedicated to the care and packing of the produce to maintain shelf life and meet high expectations.

Distribution

We’re able to deliver nationwide through our dedicated temperature-controlled cool chain distribution

A dedicated distribution team

We operate our own dedicated distribution team of fully trained, licensed and qualified drivers – delivering nationally and internationally to customer depots. We work to strict procedures to carry through all the benefits of the time, care and effort put in by our growers and pack house.

Refrigerated trailers

Our own fleet of articulated lorries use box-refrigerated trailer units to maintain a strictly controlled temperature. Air tunnels that connect to the trailers further help to avoid any temperature change in the few seconds it takes to transfer produce through our loading bays. They go straight from the fridge onto the refrigerated trailers without being taken into the outside air.

We work to strict procedures to carry through all the benefits of the time, care and effort put in by our growers and pack house.

Innovation

Whether it’s trialling new varieties, different growing techniques, new packaging formats or just improving our current varieties, we’re always looking to innovate and develop.

Dedicated trial areas

We know that consumers are always looking for something new – so with dedicated trial areas at our production sites, we carry out continued work on varietal trials for product development. Whether it’s mini cucumbers, a new tomato colour or any other step forward in flavour, quality, shape or size, we work closely with the seed houses to bring you the best available varieties on the market. As well as trialling new varieties across all the production sites in dedicated areas, new production techniques and equipment are also tested and developed to continue the journey for the best quality.

New packaging formats

The best quality produce deserves the best packaging – visually attractive and appropriate for the offer … whether it’s premium or something simpler. Our wide range of flexible packaging capabilities – from shrink wrap and flow wrap to bag, tray and loose – means we’re almost always able to say yes to new demands.

We like to take the initiative in trying out new ideas – as well as investing in in-house automation that reduces manual handling, improves the product quality and keeps costs lean.

Our wide range of flexible packaging capabilities – from shrink wrap and flow wrap to bag, tray and loose – means we’re almost always able to say yes to new demands.