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FRESH FIRM IS NAMED TOP BANANA
NORTH-EAST based fresh produce specialist J.R. Holland is celebrating after winning two national prizes at its prestigious industry awards, the second of which recognises the company as the best in the UK.
After scooping the ‘Wholesaler of the Year’ award, J.R. Holland went on to win ‘Overall Produce Trader of the Year’ against all other category winners. It is a major coup for the company bearing in mind the likes of Tesco, Waitrose, Iceland and Somerfield were all in contention for the honour at the start of the night.
The accolade was given to family-owned J.R. Holland for its achievements in the fresh produce sector. It is the first time the company has entered and won awards at the annual re: fresh ceremony.
Owner John Holland and his team attended the glitzy London Marriot Hotel to collect the two gongs in front of over 500 industry leaders. Elated John said: “This is a magnificent achievement and is testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of the whole team to bring this award to the region.
“We were optimistic about the wholesaler of the year award; to win that was an outstanding accomplishment in its own right. But to be recognised by our industry peers as the best in the business by winning the overall produce trader of the year, against huge competition, is absolutely amazing.
“This is a massive boost for our suppliers and the North-East’s fresh produce sector. We are very proud to be flying the flag for the region and look forward to building on this success.”
J.R. Holland has worked very closely with Newcastle-based PR and Marketing consultancy Karol over the last twelve months, a fruitful North-East partnership which has delivered a major and unexpected triumph.
Based at the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market at Team Valley, J.R. Holland supplies fruit and vegetables to all the Local Education Authorities in North-East England and is a major ambassador for the national ‘5 a day’ campaign.
Great British Growers
We love fruit and vegetables, none more so than the stuff that grows right outside our backyard. So, we launched ‘Great Yorkshire Growers’ and ‘Great Northumberland Growers’ initiatives to encourage regional growers to showcase their locally grown produce and allow us to source more locally.
With the exceptionally high quality of our globally sourced produce, we trust that British growers can not only meet the grade, but raise the standards even higher.
The idea is to get local school kids (via supplying the LEAs) eating the right kind of foods, which originate from their region i.e. Northumbrian vegetables for Northumbrian kids! Wouldn’t it be nice to tell your little ones that the jacket spud they had at school today came from the farm down the road?!
School Awards
J.R. Holland Food Services sponsored the 2006 Healthy Living Award for The Journal and Evening Gazette, North-East School Awards. The Award was given to the school which made it a priority to encourage healthy lifestyles. This was through exercising more, drinking more water, eating healthy foods and growing vegetables to use in the kitchen. As the sponsorship was such a success and fits so well with our continued support for the ongoing national ‘5 A Day’ campaign, we have decided to become the permanent backer of this commendable annual award.
Initiatives
In addition to our ongoing support for the national ‘5 A Day’ campaign and the need for healthier school dinners, we are currently involved in a number of major initiatives that we would like to share with you.
We take our responsibility as a business supplying fresh produce very seriously and always look to ensure that all our stakeholders benefit from what we offer. We would appreciate any support and feedback regarding our current initiatives along with suggestions for additional relevant campaigns.
Wholesale Market Drives Further Inward Investment
BELL Truck Sales is set to unveil its new state-of-the-art home at the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market in Gateshead following a £900 investment. The company has invested £250k while the remaining £650k has been funded by John Holland.
The sophisticated new facility, owned by John Holland, has been renovated by John to the specification required by leading truck dealer Bell Truck Sales and Mercedes Benz.
The advancement of this innovative new site is the most recent and significant property development in the John Holland property portfolio, which ranges from leisure sites to commercial storage.
Malcolm Venus, general manager at the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market has worked very closely with John Holland to bring such a prestigious client to the Team Valley-based site.
Malcolm said: "This is a major investment by John and it is most encouraging for our facility that we can attract such a blue chip client such as Mercedes Benz through Bell Truck Sales.
"There is no doubt this latest development enhances the quality and profile of the site" added Malcolm.
As the North's leading supplier of Mercedes Benz trucks and Vans, Bell Truck Sales is relocating to Gateshead from an existing site in Birtley due to the size of the new location and close proximity to the A1, which will better service clients.
The move, which happens this week, will eventually see the new dealership become a 24-hour business and will also see the creation of a number of technical jobs further down the line.
Yvonne Bell, director at Bell Truck Sales said: "This is a major development for the company as the new site allows us to house some of the best vehicles available on the market alongside some of the industry’s finest technical facilities.
"By working closely with John Holland, we have been able to design and create our new high specification facility. This has been vital in showcasing our vehicles and accommodating an increased amount of vans and trucks for servicing and repair," added Yvonne.
Local Firm Rummaging for Local Produce
A Gateshead-based fresh produce specialist is embarking on a 'Great Northumbrian Growers' initiative across the region aimed at encouraging local growers to promote the quality of their produce in a bid to take advantage of this major new business opportunity.
J.R. Holland Food Services which supplies fruit and vegetables to all the Local Education Authorities in North-East England is looking to strengthen local supplier-relations by linking up with farmers to ensure the best of the region’s fresh produce finds its way onto school menus.
The company is a major ambassador for the national '5 a day' campaign and is looking to work closer with local growers to raise awareness of the work being carried out with the Education sector. Commenting on the new initiative, John Holland, owner of J.R. Holland Food Services said:
"In supplying Local Education Authorities, we have a fundamental responsibility to provide the highest-quality fresh produce. Our region has a rich farming heritage and we want to make sure we're tapping into the local resources available.
"We want kids across the North-East to be eating the finest fruit and vegetables in order to reap the maximum nutritional value from their school meals. What better way to get our kids eating the right kind of foods than to provide them with exceptional produce grown in their own back-garden," continued John.
J.R. Holland Food Services is based at the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market at Team Valley. The company is aiming to expand further by retaining current agreements with the region’s Local Education Authorities amid the push towards healthier eating, which would also help create a number of jobs.
"By sourcing locally, we reduce food miles which not only helps the environment but also leads to some cost savings. If we can work closely with the growers, we can ensure Northumbrian produce ends up on Northumbrian plates" added John.
The Great North Run
We were also an official sponsor of the 2006 Junior Great North Run in Newcastle upon Tyne, distributing bananas to all kids before and after the run. The backing hopefully played a role in encouraging kids and parents to eat healthy fruit rather than chocolates, junk food etc. to provide them with and replenish energy. Again, this involvement supports the ongoing national ‘5 a day’ campaign and we hope to repeat our involvement again this year.