IN a world of uncertainty over ingredients, GM-foods and ethical trading values, as well as an increasing awareness of environmental issues, a

local firm is providing people with good, honest, fresh food.

And with Flights Orchard Organics now rapidly expanding into the region, the business looks set to bloom as quickly as the fresh produce it boxes and delivers to your door.

The company is the marketing arm for eight organic growers in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

As well as tasting the difference, consumers buying Flights Orchard Organics fruit and vegetables can do so safe in the knowledge the produce complies with strict ethical and environmental ideals and there is no genetic modification in sight.

Flights Orchard Organics was set up in 2001 by John Davenport and Mike Hamilton who could see a gap in the market among sections of the community unable to locate what was being put into their food and where - and under what conditions - it was being grown.

Individually, growers had a limited market and the co-founders of Flights Orchard Organics realised co-operation and co-ordination of the individual holdings would open up produce to a much larger market, keen for real farm fresh food.

Confident the public wanted food with traceable origins, grown the traditional way, the company embarked upon direct home deliveries. In September 2003, Flights Orchard Organics made around 50 deliveries a week. This week, 2,000 boxes of mixed fruit and vegetables are being delivered by seven sales distributors throughout the West Midlands.

Local distributor Neil Hughes was one of the first to make deliveries for Flights Orchard Organics and became a 'franchisee' two years ago. He is now in charge of deliveries to West Worcestershire.

His huge area encompasses Kidderminster and Cleobury Mortimer to Malvern and Worcester.

Mr Hughes is so busy that he is about to take on a full-time driver.

"When I first started I was making 22 deliveries a week. Now I make 500 a week," he said. "The business has increased beyond my wildest dreams as more and people are more careful about the food they eat. Customers know they can rely on the freshest fruit and vegetables in season.

"The old adage 'you are what you eat' is as true now as it ever was and mothers particularly are keen to know exactly what their children are eating and where it comes from."

Mr Hughes supplies seven different boxes - four different vegetable boxes, two fruit boxes and one mixed box, all crammed full with a range of produce in season. He has just started delivering the season's first batch of purple sprouting. Word of mouth has been critical in driving the growth of Flights Orchard Organics and with demand rising across the region, more and more consumers look set to be eating the sort of home-grown, honest market garden fare that looked set to fall victim to the big players not so long ago.

Company

Flights Orchard Organics

Manager

Neil Hughes

Business Type

Organic produce distributor

Established

2001

Telephone

01886 832031

Web Address

www.flightsorchardorganics.co.uk

Email Address

neil.hughes@flightsorchardorganics.co.uk

Location

Nordkapp,

Suckley Road,

Leigh,

Worcestershire WR6 5LE