CN SEEDS is a specialist herb seed supplier to growers both in the UK and abroad. Chris Nye established the company in 1990, when his working day would begin by taking a short walk to his shed/office at the bottom of his garden.
Much has changed in 14 years: the business has outgrown its modest beginnings; Nye now has a team of nine in place, including his son Dan, and the herb industry like CN Seeds has grown considerably.
The Ely-based company prides itself on providing quality herbs to its customers and key relationships. Volumes have grown as interest in the herbs has risen. Chris Nye says: "I previously worked for seed company Nutting & Thoday. I decided from looking at the market that the herb industry had scope for major growth. The move was justified: in the first year the business sold 100kgs of coriander and by 2003 this figure had risen to more than 30 tonnes. Likewise, basil in the first year totaled 25kg, and by 2003 it reached about 1.5t."
Relationships with growers across the globe are key to the success of CN seeds. The company also benefits from its focus on herbs. Dan Nye explains: "All major herb lines are grown from our own stock seed. Crops are produced in a variety of locations such as France, Italy, the US, Australia and New Zealand. This enables us to produce in the ideal climate for seed production and hopefully to reduce the risk of crop failure. By providing the stock seed and walking the crop personally several times and we can be sure that the resulting seed crop is of the best possible quality."
Coriander is continuing to grow as a product in volume terms. Dan Nye says: "With the rising interest in salads, demand for herbs is increasing all the time. There are also demands for different products. In France, for example, sorrel is a very popular item, it has great flavour and eats really well but in the UK the market remains very small."
Supermarket demands are increasing in the herb market. "Retailers want year-round supply of produce,” says Dan Nye. “Salad packs do provide a big opportunity to the market. There is the chance to improve on these packs considerably. Basil doesn't appear in salad bags, because it goes black after a short time. We are looking at ways of improving the basil to prevent this. The retailer can help push the industry. Supermarkets want new product lines and growers driven by their customers are continuously trialing new items - so in the long run the consumer will benefit."
But the Nyes feel it can be difficult to get supermarkets interested in new products. "We work closely with several key growers who supply a broad spectrum of customers," says Dan Nye. "Chefs are most enthusiastic about new products. We find that by working closely with growers who supply them, we are able to gain an impression of the potential of a new item."
According to the father and son team, being engrossed in herbs is a factor behind the company's continued growth. "We are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about our products,” says Chris Nye. “As a company we feel that we benefit from being focused on herbs.
“It is important that we don't spread ourselves too thinly as a company by getting involved in other areas," says Dan Nye.
As the company looks to develop further, there are three main issues: an improvement in existing lines, the importance of innovation and a steady expansion of its customer base. "There is potential to increase volumes in Europe and demand for baby leaf is growing all the time there,” says Dan Nye. "We are continually pushing ourselves to meet these demands”.
The role of new products has an equally significant part to play. "Although the celebrity chef has been in ascendancy for some time, it has to be recognised that there are fewer cooking programmes on television - the flavour of the moment is housing and design programmes. Although the cooking programmes are still on, it is important we continue to drive our market with variations on existing varieties in an effort to increase consumption," says Dan Nye.
"If we could compose a wish list of products we could develop, something like a red wild rocket would have much appeal. Having something to offer that is different from green in colour would stand out, while still having great flavour. We are focused on continuing to improve various varieties and we do this by working with growers and also conducting our own trials. We hope that through our continued efforts we will reap the benefits."
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