Produce World dates back to 1898, when it was founded by Harry Burgess, a vegetable grower in the Peterborough Fens.
He ran a fruit and vegetable shop in Richmond and wholesale stands in Cardiff and King’s Cross, all supplied by rail. Today, Produce World is one of the largest growers and suppliers of fresh vegetables in the UK. It sources its produce from a combination of its own farms, joint ventures, and collaborative working with dedicated grower groups, supplying a variety of root vegetables, potatoes, brassicas, alliums and organic produce to leading retailers, foodservice and manufacturing customers.
Andrew Burgess, agronomy director and grandson of the founder, says the industry has consolidated almost beyond recognition in the past 60 years. “Back in 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, my grandfather, Harry Burgess, was still running the business and my father, David, was still at school,” he recalls.
“In 1955, my father left school to start working in the family farming business and by 1959 he was in charge of the day-to-day running of the farm. At the time it was seen as a large fresh produce company but if it existed at that size today it would be tiny by comparison. In the ‘50s there was a huge difference in the number of growers compared to today, which really demonstrates the current state the industry is in. In comparison, there were 45,000 potato growers but now there are only 3,000 and there were hundreds of carrot growers, but now this has dwindled to just a handful. Back then, there were no supermarkets and the trade was all done through the flourishing wholesale markets.”
The business has evolved in order to meet the needs of the customer, says Burgess. “To survive this long, it demonstrates that we have always changed to reflect our customers’ needs. Firstly, fresh produce companies have to be efficient and lean, throughout the supply chain and internally. This goes hand in hand with our work ethos as we implement lean principles throughout the group. Adding value to the category through insight and NPD and finally sustainability in farming are the second and third elements driving companies to grow in this category and hopefully support growth for years to come. Sustainable means that something can continue forever, including financially, which is what this industry needs now more than ever.”
Burgess believes the coming decade will see the continuing consolidation of the industry, with the large grower and packer organisations supplying direct to market. “While the balance between commercial retailers and suppliers has shifted since the Queen’s accession to the throne, we hope that it will regain balance over the coming years, but beware the middle man who doesn’t add value,” he says. -
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