More than 10,000 pieces of fruit were handed out as a morning pick up for commuters at Liverpool Street station on February 12 as part of a Big Fruit Giveaway from the team behind Fruit for the Office.
The firm, which uses an online ordering system that allows companies to schedule regular deliveries of fruit to the office, upgraded from a market stall.
Daniel Ox, whose family has been trading on the streets of London for 38 years, said: “With the major supermarkets taking over, it was impossible to carry on trading at street level. But we were not willing to just lay down and die, and we have come back with a new idea that we know people are looking for.”
Fruit for the Office aims to bring healthy options to the workforce. Ox added: “Times have changed. The web has allowed us to get off the street but still offer great value and nutritious alternatives to other snacks. We can also reach more offices in and around London.”
More than 70 per cent of people believe productivity in the workplace would increase if their employer provided health and well-being support, according to a 2004 report.
Many companies have already realised the benefits to the health and productivity of their staff, according to Ox. He said: “It’s amazing how a few pieces of fresh fruit really do make a difference to an office. People take less time out to buy junk, they are healthier so they work better, and it just makes them feel as if their bosses are thinking about them. Getting it delivered once, twice a week, or every day, seems to just pick people up and make them more fruitful.”
Online orders can be made at www.fruitfortheoffice.co.uk.
