I was in my office one day in early November 2019 when I got a call from David Ward to put his order in for chickens for the week, and in passing he mentioned that he was retiring at Christmas.
David had been a customer of ours for many years. He was and still is an organic grower who did a round on his van for 20 years, and sold our chickens from it also. I immediately thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to expand the business and get involved in another passion of mine which is growing.
The deal was done in December 2020 and David has helped me get used to the stops, drops, orders etc. and also helped me grow my own vegetables, and he continues to grow also.
The van is a mobile shop and is kitted out with shelves on either side. People can come onto it and select their organic fruit, vegetables, cheese, yogurts, oils, eggs etc.
I’ve retained the same route that David had which involves some house calls but mainly meeting points where we pull in and people come on to the van to do their shopping.
Nothing is packaged except the cheeses etc. so the customers are free to buy one carrot, two parsnips etc. or whatever they wish. Most customers take their own bags with them and sometimes orders can be texted in to us in advance so the order can just be picked up at the collection point.
Getting used to the round took a little time as it involves stops in Wexford, Carlow, Waterford and Kilkenny. David’s established customers were very pleased to see the round continue as they relied on it for their weekly source of organic food – and we are delighted that they have continued to support us.
I’m also pleased to say that the round has grown and continues to grow as people, young and old, seek out food that is sustainable and grown as nature intended – free from harmful chemicals.
Apart from David and I growing, I also work with a range of local /Irish organic growers but some fruit and vegetables are imported in order to provide a wider range of products.
It is again a family affair, with myself, two sisters – Helen and Ger, and my nephew Conor involved. Our delivery routes are on the website and we hope to set up a new one shortly to cover North Wexford and Wicklow. Our range of products include fruit and veg, dates, cheese, yogurts, milk, juice, kombucha, sauerkraut, kefir, eggs, oils, our organic chicken and portions and our own organic pork when available.
