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Riverford…organic home delivery franchise
Riverford, the nations favourite organic box scheme, has been delivering fresh organic produce direct from the farm to the door for over 15 years. Riverford Organic Vegetables, with our sister farms, is one of the largest organic vegetable producers in the UK. With consumers’ increasing concerns about knowing how and where their food is produced, Riverford’s franchisees are a vital link between consumers and the farm.
Riverford is going from strength to strength having just won the Best Organic Retailer 2009 Soil Association Award, the Observer Ethical Awards Best Ethical Business 2009 and the BITC’s Rural Action Award.
Our franchisees sell a whole range of fresh organic foods – from fruit to eggs and wine – as extras to the vegetable boxes. Profits can be built by developing the customer base density and increasing the average spend, with some of our top performing franchisees grossing over £600 per delivery round.
We are looking for enthusiastic and driven people with a passion for food to join our growing success to operate new and resale territories across the UK.
Riverford Organic Vegetables – How it all began
Riverford Organic Vegetables grows and delivers award-winning fresh organic fruit and veg boxes straight from the farm to homes around the UK. Riverford’s founder, Guy Watson, was a pioneer in the vegbox world, starting to grow organic vegetables in 1987. Riverford is now the country’s most popular vegbox scheme, certified by the Soil Association.
From a wheelbarrow in Devon to 50,000 weekly deliveries around the UK
The Watson family has farmed at Riverford in Devon since 1951 and youngest son Guy began growing vegetables organically in 1986. Inspired by walking the fields and picking supper for family and friends, Guy began the box scheme in 1993, delivering to just 20 local households. Today Riverford grows and delivers to 50,000 customers around the UK each week through its network of franchisees.As demand for the veg boxes grew, Guy was faced with the challenge of how to meet demand without letting the business get too large and impersonal. “When I started harvesting my first vegetables onto a wheelbarrow, I never wanted to run a huge company and I still don’t now. You don’t have to be massive and all-controlling to secure a viable route to market and give customers what they want.” says Guy.
The solution was to team up with regional ‘sister’ farms and franchisees who shared Guy’s ethics and passion for growing organic vegetables close to where they are eaten and enjoyed. The first was Riverford on Sacrewell Farm in Peterborough, growing and delivering to homes across the East Midlands. Then came Riverford on Home Farm in Yorkshire, to deliver vegboxes across the North and North East. Following the success of the first two sister farms, Riverford on Upper Norton Farm opened to grow and deliver to customers around Hampshire. In September last year, Riverford on Stockley Farm in Cheshire launched, for customers in the North West. Customers get their veg delivered from their local Riverford farm.
A national vegbox scheme with a local service
Riverford needs franchisees for each sister farm, to deliver its organic produce to local people by the most direct route possible. Franchisees are more than just delivery people. They manage their own area, look after their local customers and provide a personal service and link to the farm that customers just won’t find in the supermarket. The franchisees are people that understand Riverford’s ethics and believe in the product they are selling. There is no need for previous experience, just an enthusiasm for fresh organic food and the ability to communicate the Riverford story to new customers. For many, running their own organic business is a complete lifestyle change.
The farm offers its franchisees unlimited support and its growing size means sharing systems and ideas is easy. As Guy explains “Our idea is to retain the social, environmental and economic advantages of small, local businesses, while sharing the advantages that scale gives. This brings business benefits like sharing IT and finance systems, but even more importantly, we can share knowledge.”
Despite Riverford’s growth, it is still a family-owned business that is motivated by traditional values. If you are looking for a new challenge and have a passion for great-tasting organic produce, we are looking for enthusiastic and driven people to join our growing success and operate new and resale territories across the UK.
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