FARM FRESH PO LTD

What FARM FRESH PO LTD does

Farm Fresh PO Ltd is a UK Producers' Organisation (PO) formed in 1996 that aggregates, markets and distributes soft fruits and vegetables from a coalition of member farms to UK supermarket chains. Member growers operate across four countries — the United Kingdom, Poland, Portugal and South Africa — giving the PO geographic diversification, extended production seasons and weather-risk mitigation that no single farm could achieve independently. The product range centres on soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants) with a vegetable line (notably asparagus via the UK's largest producer, Cobrey Farms, and green beans via Sandfields Farms), and the organisation is the largest supplier in Europe of both organic and conventional blueberries.

The PO operates a cooperative-style business model: member farms retain independent ownership and production while FFPO provides collective marketing, customer relationships, quality standards and logistical coordination. End customers are major UK grocery retailers including Tesco, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, with member-level specialisations mapped to specific accounts (e.g., Hall Hunter Partnership primarily supplying Waitrose, Busby Partners as the biggest single supplier of Class 1 English strawberries to Tesco Midlands stores). Reported turnover exceeded £100 million in both 2019 and 2020, with ongoing member additions (R & J Emery in 2022) and headcount expansion in Finance and Marketing during 2019 indicating continued scaling of the central organisation.

From a technology standpoint, Farm Fresh PO's disclosed infrastructure is limited to a member extranet portal for coordination and login-based content access; no proprietary software, AI/ML systems, applications or public APIs are evidenced. Members hold a comprehensive certification stack (Red Tractor, GLOBAL GAP, BRC Food Safety Grade A/AA, LEAF, Soil Association Organic, Nurture, Field to Fork) that supports retailer-grade compliance and serves as a barrier to new entrants in the supply tier.

Name

FARM FRESH PO LTD

Legal name

Farm Fresh PO Ltd

Website

https://farmfreshpo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Farm Fresh PO Ltd is a UK Producers' Organisation formed in 1996 that aggregates soft fruit and vegetables from member farms across the UK, Poland, Portugal and South Africa, and markets them directly to major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Marketing

NAICS

Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers (424590), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Produce Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAC), Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE), Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA), Fresh Vegetable Wholesale (AFAIACAB), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

Keywords

• Fresh produce supply
• Soft fruit marketing
• Producer organisation
• Fresh fruit distribution
• Vegetable supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Produce marketing and sales: Farm Fresh PO acts as a Producer Organisation that markets and sells produce from its member farms to UK supermarkets. The PO takes a margin on sales for coordinating production, marketing, and distribution services provided to members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Farm Fresh PO Ltd is a Producer Organisation that aggregates soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants, and rhubarb) and selected vegetables (asparagus, green beans) from member farms in the UK, Poland, Portugal, and South Africa. It markets and distributes this produce to leading UK supermarket chains, handling quality control, packaging specifications, and logistics coordination on behalf of growers.

Product overview

Farm Fresh PO Ltd is a producer organization formed in 1996 that aggregates and markets soft fruits and vegetables from its member farms across the UK, Poland, and Portugal. The company's product portfolio includes strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, rhubarb, gooseberries, currants, asparagus, and green beans. The core offering is the aggregation and marketing of fresh produce from member farms to UK supermarkets, supported by an extranet portal for member coordination. Products are sourced from geographically diverse farms to ensure year-round supply continuity and reduce weather-related risks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strawberries

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnover exceeded £100 million in 2019 and 2020, demonstrating consistent growth even in challenging market conditions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sandfields Farms LtdcoreOthers · 1 January 2007Established in 2007 and based at Manor Farm, Luddington, Warks. Over 1,200 ha of salad and vegetable crops grown predominantly in a 35 mile radius. Farm Fresh crops include Green beans and Asparagus. Employs circa 120 permanent staff plus up to 750 seasonal staff.
• Busby Partners LimitedcoreOthersFamily-run grower located in Derbyshire producing arable crops and English Class 1 strawberries. The biggest single supplier of strawberries for Tesco Supermarket stores in their area.
• Cobrey FarmcoreOthersEstablished in 1925, Chinn family partnership farming 1000 hectares in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and Suffolk. Grow Asparagus, blueberries, Green beans, Sugar Snap peas, Tenderstem Broccoli and rhubarb. Largest producer of Asparagus in the UK.
• Hall Hunter PartnershipcoreOthersLong established family owned business with 3 large farms growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for supply to UK supermarkets. Operates from locations in Berkshire and Surrey including Heathlands Farm (130 acres), Tuesley Farm (469 acres), and Sheeplands Farm (114 acres).
• EW Button & SoncoreOthersFather and son partnership in Cornwall farming approximately 900 acres of early potatoes, 750 acres of cereals and 30 acres of blueberries. Joined Farm Fresh in August 2013.
• Winterwood Farms LtdcoreOthersStephen & Jackie Taylor began growing produce in 1978 and now operate 12 farms in 4 countries. Specialise in currants and gooseberries as well as out-of-season production. Operate central packhouse in Kent and pack fruit from other PO members such as Polana and Hayle Farm.
• The Summer Berry Company UKcoreOthersBased in Chichester, West Sussex producing fruit and propagating soft fruit plants on 350 hectares of tunnelled and glasshouse infrastructure. One of the longest fruit production seasons in the UK due to beneficial south coast climate.
• Summer Berry Company PortugalcoreOthersFFPO's newest member joining in June 2016 focusing on production of raspberries and blueberries. Located in Alentejo, Portugal.
• Hayle FarmcoreOthersFamily-run Kentish farm growing Victoria Plums, blackcurrants and gooseberries for distribution into UK multiples. Also a large grower of top fruit and hops.
• JW Allen and SonscoreOthersPredominantly arable farming operation growing cereals and root crops in Central Norfolk. Growing asparagus since 1985 covering 180 acres, of which around a third is under polythene for early season growth.
• Polana Sp. z. o. ocoreOthersThree farms (one in South East and two in North West of Poland). Largest organic blueberry growers in the world for fresh pick fruit, and largest Blueberry growers in Poland of conventional fruit. Produced over 2000 tonnes each year.
• R & J EmerycoreOthersEmery family growing in Hampshire since 1966, now in third generation. Joined Greosn's Group in 2022. Growing quality soft fruit across 42 Hectares for supply to UK supermarkets. Red Tractor assured, Leaf accredited with BRC Grade AA* packhouse.
• T&C FrankecoreOthersFranke family arrived in UK from Netherlands in 1965 with horticulture experience since early 1900s. Specialise in growing raspberries at their Nursery in Buckinghamshire.
• V & W AvelingcoreOthersFather and son partnership Victor and Will Aveling specialising in asparagus in Cambridgeshire. Joined Farm Fresh in March 2014.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BerryWorld: International berry specialist with breeding, production, and marketing operations across Europe and Australia. Comparable category focus (berries) and supermarket customer base to Farm Fresh PO's soft fruit business.
• Berry Gardens: UK berry-focused grower-owned cooperative that markets soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) to major UK retailers. Closest structural analogue to Farm Fresh PO's cooperative-style marketing model for UK supermarkets.
• Worldwide Fruit: UK-based fresh produce supplier specialising in apples, pears, and stone fruit to major retailers. Comparable as a UK fresh-produce marketing operation linking growers to supermarket customers.
• Fresca Group: UK fresh produce marketing and distribution group supplying major supermarkets with fruit and vegetables from a network of growers. Comparable vertically-aligned aggregator model taking produce from farms to retail customers.
• Angus Soft Fruits: Scottish-based soft fruit grower and marketer supplying UK and European retailers with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Comparable to FFPO as a UK soft fruit producer serving major supermarket customers.
• Driscoll's: Global market leader in fresh berries with dedicated grower networks supplying major retailers across Europe, North America, and beyond. Directly comparable as a berry-focused marketer that aggregates third-party growers to serve supermarket customers at scale.
• Total Berry / The Summer Berry Company (parent context): Soft fruit producer with glasshouse and tunnel operations in the UK and Portugal (a member of FFPO). Comparable as a UK-based berry producer operating across multiple countries for season extension.

Broad incumbents

• Greenyard: European market leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetables serving major retailers across the continent. Comparable as a broad incumbent in fresh produce distribution with overlapping supermarket customer base.
• Dole plc (formerly Total Produce): Global fresh produce company with broad category exposure and large-scale supply to European retailers. Comparable as a much larger incumbent competitor serving UK supermarkets with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Regional players

• Costa Group Holdings: Australia and overseas horticulture heavyweight with significant berry, citrus, and avocado operations. Comparable in berry category leadership and vertically integrated grower-marketer model, but operates primarily outside FFPO's European footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/farmfreshpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farm-fresh-po-ltd

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FARM FRESH PO LTD