A PIONEERING grower partnership in the heart of Worcestershire’s Severn Valley is going from strength to strength.

One of the UK's largest fruit and vegetable wholesalers, Minor Weir and Willis, which is based in Birmingham, has brought six local growers together to help them gain access to the UK’s big chain retailers through its existing contracts and distribution network.

The growers, which include Top Barn Produce of Holt Heath and Temple Laugherne Ltd of Oldbury Road, Worcester, have all seen considerable increases in turnover and new jobs during 2011, with MWW also benefitting from extended seasons and reliable supply.

MWW’s UK growing manager Simon Barnett said: “The concept has developed over a number of years and we are now at the stage where we have a fabulous team of growers.

“Each participant has complementary skills and each wishes to buy in to the knowledge-sharing element of the approach.

“Between our six members and our own land, we now have in excess of 2,000 acres within a 15-mile area in Worcestershire, with packing focused on a central hub at Top Barn Farm at Holt Heath, from which much of our product is packed and distributed.”

The partnership produces more than 10 different vegetables, ranging from salad onions and peas and beans to chillies, courgettes and asparagus. It is now also looking at extending this into non-traditional areas, such as pak choi (widely used in Chinese cooking) and the hugely popular sugar snap pea, which has become a staple part of the UK School Fruit and Vegetable scheme.

Mr Barnett said: “Consumers feel strongly about local food, both as a statement of support for British farmers and as an affirmation of freshness. We share that passion and feel this partnership goes a long way towards delivering that message.

“Recent group investments include a £500,000 new salad onion packing line, as well as packing and agricultural machinery.”