A Scottish fruit and veg wholesaler is to close after 44 years due to “an influx of eating places using out of town suppliers.”
John Birrell & Sons, which operates in Fife, has announced it will close at the end of this month, according to Fife Today.
The business, which supplies fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables to businesses in the area and also has a shop in St Andrews, is run by Andrew and Lynn Birrell.
Fife Today reported that the coupled described closing the business as “the hardest decision we have had to make,” and put it down to changes in the town, along wirg the aforementioned influx of eating places using out of town suppliers.
Lynn said: “There are always new restaurants opening in St Andrews and many are using suppliers from elsewhere. We recently lost a big contract because we just can’t compete with the bigger competition.”
She said the business employed ten staff.
“We will be merging with Ivan Wood & Sons of Ballingry which is a bigger firm than ourselves and which can carry a lot more than us [but] It is very sad that it has come to this,” Lynn added.
