IN a world of uncertainty over ingredients, GM-foods and ethical trading values, as well as an increasing awareness of environmental issues an organic vegetable boxscheme firm is providing people with good honest fresh food.

And with Flights Orchard Organics now rapidly expanding into the West Midlands and Birmingham, 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 Herefordshire and Worcestershire, including John Davenport, co director and long time organic farmer of Flights Orchard Farm, who provides the bulk of the veg box contents, from award wining carrots to a variety of potatoes, leeks, beetroot, cabbage, parsnips and salads. And as well as tasting the difference, consumers buying Flights Orchards Organics fruit and veg 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 back 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.To start with the company wholesaled produce to other box schemes and retailers.

But John and Mike found themselves typically marginalised by the big supermarkets whose economies of scale left Flights Orchard Organics unable to compete with bigger producers and cheaper imports.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 over 2,000 boxes of mixed fruit and veg are being delivered by seven sales distributors throughout the West Midlands.

The continued success of Chris Atkins , one of the fore runners of the distribution team, who caters to the Halesowen area, is typical of the firm's success.

The company started by covering the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area, often marketing produce through food fayres. But as its reputation spread, potential consumers in the Halesowen and Birmingham areas made enquiries and since he started,less than two years ago, Chris is already delivering around 450 boxes a week on his patch.Word of mouth has been critical in driving Flights Orchard's organic growth 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.

FACT FILE

Company

Flights Orchard Organics

Managers

Mike Hamilton

Business Type

Organic produce, delivery service

Established

2001

Telephone

0845 658 9808

Web Address

www.flightorchardorganics.co.uk

Email Address

info@flightorchardsorganics.co.uk

Location

Unit 3 & 4

Lower Road Trading Estate

Ledbury, Herefordshire

HR8 2DJ