- Amal-Grow closing today with 49 job losses.
- Woodside Farms, is investing £3.25 million in new equipment and facilities to ensure that the islands supply of local vegetables continues uninterrupted
- Comment: Read what the JEP thinks
- Read a history of Amal-Grow below
SHOPPERS are being promised a greater variety of fresh local produce after the Channel Islands’ biggest supermarkets switched suppliers following the closure of Amal-Grow today.
Charlie Gallichan, the Trinity farmer behind a Jersey-led initiative to fill the gap left by Amal-Grow, says from Monday they will be supplying fresh salads and vegetables to the Co-op and Waitrose stores, with more retailers – and a greater choice of produce – to follow.
His family business, Woodside Farms, is investing £3.25 million in new equipment and facilities to ensure that the islands’ supply of local vegetables continues uninterrupted.
The venture is receiving £450,000 of funding from Economic Development’s Rural Initiative Scheme.
Mr Gallichan and other farmers got together in February when Amal-Grow, the largest supplier of fresh produce to the Channel Islands and part of UK-owned Albert Bartlett, announced that it would cease trading in July.
‘We’re starting on Monday with a much greater range of produce than has been available,’ he said. ‘We are launching along with two other farmers this weekend and we shall be getting other growers providing their produce as it becomes available throughout the seasons of the year, so more growers will hopefully be involved,’ he said.
‘Waitrose and the Co-op are keen to source more local produce so we need to identify the gaps, but we need to get the foundations right. It is about making sure everyone is planting the crops that are needed,’
Amal-Grow made its last deliveries yesterday and closed, with the loss of 49 jobs.
However, 30 members of staff are due to start working for Woodside tomorrow to process orders coming in from the Co-op and Waitrose for next week to ensure that supplies are maintained during the changeover of suppliers.
Jim Plumley, the Co-op’s chief commercial officer, said it would be ‘business as normal’ from Monday.
‘It is early days but as time goes by we hope to be able to add additional produce to what we are selling,’ he said.
Waitrose are starting with 25 items of produce from Woodside and expect to be supplied with all their core fresh produce by the end of the year.
The UK supermarket chain’s fresh-food buyer in the islands, Gary Grace, said: ‘The Channel Islands have always been known for their fresh produce and we don’t want to stop now.
‘As a business, it’s key that we continue to support the community we’re in and, for us, that includes the assurance that our customers have access to locally sourced produce.’
Mr Gallichan said that the past few weeks had been a very busy and stressful time, not helped by having to irrigate newly planted winter crops during the prolonged period of dry weather.
Woodside are also launching new packaging and labelling from Monday, which Mr Gallichan hopes will attract shoppers’ attention and get them buying local produce.
You can support the Keep Jersey Farming campaign by collecting a free car sticker from the JEP’s offices at Five Oaks or from farm shops around the Island
THE farmer who has stepped up to keep the Island supplied with fresh local produce after Amal-Grow, the Channel Islands biggest grower, ceases trading today, deserves all our support.
From Monday, Charlie Gallichan’s Woodside Farms, working with two other farmers, will be supplying Co-op and Waitrose stores in both bailiwicks.
Over the coming months, he says, more farmers will join them to increase the choice of fresh seasonal produce available for Islanders and to reduce Jersey’s dependency on imported produce.
They are being encouraged by Waitrose’s aim to locally source all its core vegetables and herbs by the end of 2015, and politicians who, after years of favouring the finance industry over agriculture, are at last making supportive noises.
Woodside Farms has been promised States funding of £450,000, to be paid on a part loan and part grant basis, that amounts to just 14% of the company’s overall £3.25 million investment in equipment and facilities – a considerable commitment in today’s economic climate.
If Islanders care about Jersey they can show it by buying the new, and genuinely Jersey, Woodside Farms range that goes on sale from Monday and by showing their support for the custodians of our countryside and rural heritage by backing the JEP’s Keep Jersey Farming campaign. Car stickers are available from the JEP offices at Five Oaks and farm shops around the Island.
- Amal-Grow was sold to Albert Bartlett and Sons in 2013.
- The company, which has a depot on Trinity Main Road, was started in 1976 by Tony Le Brun.
- It was hoped at the time that being owned by a larger company could open up new distribution channels.
- Farm director and shareholder Mike Greenwood said at the time that the business would continue to provide locally grown veg to shops in the Island as well as looking at exports. Tony was the senior partner and a 60 per cent owner of the business and he was at a stage in his life where he wanted to retire,’ he said. A decision was taken to sell and a very good offer came in from Bartletts, who agreed to continue to do what Amal-Grow do in the Island.
- Amal-Grow made its last deliveries yesterday and closed, with the loss of 49 jobs. However, 30 members of staff are due to start working for Woodside tomorrow
