Organic home delivery firm Abel & Cole is now operating out of a recently opened depot in Aylesford, Kent.
Over a three-year period, the firm expects to employ 40 people at the 5,000sqft site, which will organise deliveries across Kent, East Sussex, and the south east of London - previously co-ordinated from Abel & Cole’s London office in Wimbledon.
The firm made its move with the help of investment promotion agency Locate in Kent (LiK). Chief executive of LiK Paul Wookey told FPJ: “Having a location here in Kent really fitted in with Abel & Cole’s green credentials. It has brought the company to its customer base down here, which is growing, and has significantly cut down on food miles from when it used to distribute to this region from Wimbledon.”
Locate in Kent was able to help Abel & Cole find the facility. “This was a fairly straightforward project,” said Wookey. “Our primary role was to help them find the premises, and we will stick with them now they are here, providing after-care and helping them bed into the county.”
Abel & Cole will use LiK to help it seek out local farmers to add to its network of more than 60 independent growers and producers. “The food will be locally produced and supplied, and locally delivered, and we can help Abel & Cole make good links with local suppliers,” said Wookey. “It is par for the course for us to help companies after they have established themselves.
“This project will help us build on the strength of Kent as a good agricultural county,” he added.
The ‘greener grocer’, as Abel & Cole markets itself, was first set up in 1988 and delivers a variety of organic goods including seasonal fruit and veg boxes, cheese, meat, wine and more.
Nicholas Cannell, regional depot manager at Abel & Cole, said: “We have seen substantial growth in demand for our home deliveries over the last three years, and having this delivery base in Kent will mean that a large amount of new customers will benefit from our organic boxes.
“Locate in Kent has been an invaluable adviser in helping us to locate the property. Additionally, the organisation’s local knowledge has been a great asset, as it has put us in touch with small producers of organic food,” he added.
Locate in Kent is based in West Malling and has a 15-strong team, which is also working on Fresca Group’s Thanet Earth project - the UK’s largest-ever glasshouse development.
No comments yet