Growing partnership invests in expansion

A BIRMINGHAM food business pioneering a ‘grower partnership’ is targeting expansion after a successful year.

Minor Weir and Willis (MWW) has brought six growers together to leverage their position with UK multiple retailers.

The group of growers has seen considerable increase in turnover and new jobs during 2011, with MWW also benefitting from extended seasons and reliable supply.

Simon Barnett, MWW’s UK growing manager, said the growing concept had developed over a number of years to the point where it had a much stronger bargaining position.

“We are now at the stage where we have a fabulous team of growers, which has been complemented in the last 12 months with the purchase of the first piece of land by the MWW Group in Worcestershire,” said Mr Barnett.

“Each participant has complimentary skills and each wishes to buy in to the knowledge-sharing element of the approach.”

Between the six members, the partnership has in excess of 2,000 acres within a 15-mile area of Worcestershire. Packing is focussed around a central hub from which much of the produce is distributed.

MWW handles the commercial agreements with the supermarkets directly, leaving the growers to concentrate on producing the fruit and vegetables.

“The group has expanded its UK growing activities in recent years and we intend to continue to invest in this area of the business,” added Mr Barnett.

Current produce ranges from salad onions and peas and beans to chillies, courgettes and asparagus.

MWW is also looking at extending this into non-traditional areas, such as pak choi, which is widely used in Chinese cooking and the popular sugar snap pea, which has become a staple part of the offer into the UK School Fruit and Vegetable scheme.

Growing new products and extending seasons has also meant a reduction in imports, a move which has helped the group reduce its carbon footprint as well as improve the UK’s balance of trade.

MWW, which employs 240 people, has invested in expansion by spending £500,000 installing a new salad onion packing line, as well as in other packing and agricultural machinery.