Just in the nick of time – as we were reaching the end of our UK carrot supply with Royal Oak, Fosketts stepped in and saved the day with their beautiful bunched carrots. Alongside their radishes and pak choi, they’re going to bring a welcome pop of colour to ONHQ. 🥕🤗

Speaking of pops of colour, we had the first purple artichokes of the season in from Bedlam this week, and they looked fantastic alongside the asparagus. Also joining the Bedlam line up are the first UK green artichokes, which are looking just as impressive as always. 💜💚

Good afternoon everyone,

Another bank hol next Monday and as a result, all of our Dutch order cut-offs have been brought forward to 3pm on Weds (tmorra). After so many let downs delivery-wise on bank hols and despite all of the reassurances we receive every time, we’ve lost all faith in our Dutch pals being able to get to us in a timely way on bank hols so we’re trying to get the pallets in earlier to be safer. For clarity, that’s earlier cut-offs for Green Organics, Fairtrasa and Zann.

Boring bank hol chat out the way, I’m glad to report that it’s been a great couple of weeks this end on a number of fronts. We’ve topped our busiest ever week again, we’ve begun working with 9 new businesses and deliveries into us have been timely and consistent. Around all of the veg lugging, we’ve been plenty busy too.

Cathryn and Ajay (our lovely neighbour in Macc/software guy) have been mining and digging into some of our data for 4 workstreams that we have into Defra. One’s about how we’re managing to supplying some state schools, one’s about how we’re doing what we’re doing as a company as those at Defra are intrigued, one’s for the Organic Research Centre who want to shout about us to Defra and one is for some of the work that we’re helping with with the UK Fruit and Veg Alliance to support agroecological growers of every scale.

You’d be forgiven for being bored by dry updates like these but after a brilliant meeting down at the Home Officeyesterday, i’ve the feeling that we’re really starting to make some impact and that some policy/funding assistance in the sector is in the pipeline. Even more excitingly, i’ve been told on some authority that come late June, for the first time, and in keeping with recent developments in Scotland, this country is going to have its first Organic Action Plan. If this materialises, this would have the potential to be a game-changer for the sector, encouraging growth both financially and veg-wise and we’ll be looking to help shape what’s decided by Defra as much as we can.

Less boring veg updates: 

• Starting in the UK, Mahollam add some twister spuds, Staples starts back on the list with their cauliflowers and as mentioned above we have both bunched carrots and green artichokes from Foskett’s and Bedlam respectively.

• Elsewhere, Strawberry Fields extend their offering of lettuce with some red batavias and Terry Simpson adds some of his Maris bard spuds and bunched curly parsley.

• From our market gardens this week, we have salad leaves from Growing Well again and some true spinach and mint from Moss Valley.

• The last thing on our UK adds is some maitake mushrooms from Dart Valley.

• From Portugal, Vasco add some blueberries in punnets.

• From Spain, Bioalgarrobo add some 3kg aubs, fennel and leeks while Hortichuelas add some canary melons and Thaymin adds broccoli and yellow onions.

• From Holland, Zann has some red beetroot and Chinese cabbage.

• From France, Uni-Vert has some fennel, yellow tomatoes, apricots and charentais melons, Bio & Bio some new carrots and Solagora some of the first plums.

• Our top picks from Dynamis this week are the round tri-colour courgettes, fresh wet garlic, tenderstem garlic, peas, tri-colour mini peppers, indigo tomatoes and a variety of apricots and melons.

• To line your pantry’s, we’re stocking back up on the juice from Cal Valls, this juice is always such a hit with you lot we struggle keep it in stock! Loving foods have their cool kimchi available again as well as Pip Organic with their mango pip sticks. If jam is more your thing then you’ll be please to know that Treddafydd are back on the list with a fantastic range so make sure to have a good peruse.

• Lastly, before we sign off, we wanted to let you know that we’re currently offering reduced prices on olive oil from Arcadia, As Pontis, and Coato. This offer is running until June.

Much to the delight of our growers, temps are due to rise significantly this week. Hope you all get to feel some of that lovely sunshine on the back of your necks.

Have a top week, pals
Sean, Cathryn, Mads, Ell, Alph and Team ON x

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