It makes sense (and tastes better) to eat strawberries in June and wonderful root vegetables in the winter. Seasonal variety is healthier for you and the planet!
Eating seasonally goes hand in hand with organic principles, and we're very passionate about it. If some of the retail industry had their way, we'd no doubt have Christmas every month and Easter at least twice a year, but we'd most probably tire of all the exciting treats that we look forward to annually. This is exactly what's happened with our food. Now that you can buy strawberries in January and 'new season' lamb all year round, many people just don't know what's in season any more, or that eating food in its proper season actually tastes better.
Each season has so many treats to offer, and being able to look forward to asparagus and Jersey royal potatoes in spring, strawberries, peaches and lettuce in summer, and hearty root veg in winter is such a delight.
We work with over 120 British farmers, bakers and producers - as well as some further afield (for Fairtrade bananas, coffee and chocolate). We believe that working closely with our producers benefits everyone - they get more security, and more time to focus on the food. We plan crops and often agree prices in advance with our growers. We help smaller producers supply us, for example by providing loans or asking them to grow new varieties that you'll want to eat.
We have some fantastic European and international farmers who help us fill the gaps when, due to our cooler climate, the UK fields are in between harvests. Buying some produce from overseas enables us to keep our boxes full of a nutritional range of foods whilst supporting growers elsewhere. In these circumstances we never air-freight and obviously, our first choice is always British.