One of Tesco’s largest top-fruit suppliers has pulled off what it believes is a first in supplying Conference pears year-round to the supermarket giant.
Adrian Scripps said a number of suppliers had claimed that year-round supply of the fruit to the supermarkets “can’t be done” and defiantly announced the achievement.
The Kent-based company has supplied Conference pears from their orchards in Kent to Tesco every week for the past year and has continued this straight into new season crop being harvested this week.
It is understood this is the first time a UK multiple has been able to source UK Conference continuously for a full twelve months and the firm attributed the success to “continual investment”.
Adrian Scripps managing director James Simpson said that attention to detail at every stage of the production and supply chain is crucial. He said: “The fruit supplied to Tesco in the first week of September 2010 was harvested in the first week of September 2009, the correct maturity at picking and the careful storage has been critical.
“The new season crop has come from our own orchards at Five Oak Green and those of our neighbour, Hadlow Place Farms; we are very pleased with the eating quality and delighted we have been able to supply Tesco with new season fruit.”
He added: “We specialise in the late storage of apples and pears, we completed marketing of UK Braeburn and Gala in June and UK Kanzi apples in mid May, achieving twelve months of continuous Conference marketing were the next natural progression for the business and our customer.”
Adrian Scripps storage manager Ashley Bournes said: “The continual investment made by the company in the best storage facilities for pears has made the feat possible.”
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