What Rush Group does

Rush Group is a United Kingdom-incorporated private fresh-produce business (Rush Group Limited, registered in Devon with operational headquarters at Fairfield Farm, Boston, Lincolnshire) that farms, stores, packs and distributes fruit and vegetables to markets across Europe on a 365-day basis with same- or next-day delivery. The company sells primarily on a B2B basis into large European retailers (ALDI, Carrefour, Lidl, Co-op, SPAR, EDEKA, Biedronka) and food-service distributors (Sysco, Brakes, Mindful Chef), supplemented by wholesale markets and processing-industry customers; its go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by agronomists and country-level sales offices. Headcount is approximately 28, suggesting an asset-light operating model in which production is sourced from a combination of owned farms (200 hectares of year-round production in Santarém, Portugal, plus Lincolnshire packhouse operations) and a larger partner-grower network (75% of Portuguese output originates from partners) coordinated across UK, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Egypt and additional countries.

The company's product surface spans a broad fresh-produce basket — sweet potatoes, potatoes, red/brown/white onions, carrots, brassicas (cabbage varieties, cauliflower, broccoli), butternut and muskat squash, ginger, citrus (oranges), pome fruit (apples, pears, grapes, pomegranates), watermelons and melons (honey dew, cantaloupe, Piel de Sapo, Galia). Core operational technology consists of state-of-the-art farming and harvesting machinery, a BRC-certified packhouse in Lincolnshire providing full field-to-fork traceability, and the Fairfield Fresh processing subsidiary, which upcycles surplus or out-grade produce (out-of-spec on size, shape or superficial damage) into value-added ready-prepped products such as peeled sweet potato fries and butternut squash cubes. Compliance infrastructure — Global G.A.P., GRASP, IFS, BRC, Red Tractor, British Potato, SEDEX, SMETA and SIZA — is positioned as a minimum-vendor requirement for the retailers Rush supplies.

Revenue is generated through direct supply contracts with the named retailers and food-service customers; pricing is quote-/contract-based and not publicly disclosed, and the group does not publish revenue. Strategic positioning centres on year-round, certified, traceable European supply, complemented by sustainability and food-waste initiatives (notably a 2019-onward partnership with FareShare, recognised as a 2022 Leading Food Partner, with 5 million meals' worth of surplus produce diverted). The company operates sub-brands Rush Farms (farming) and Fairfield Fresh (value-added processing) and runs dedicated sales offices near New Covent Garden Market in London, in Rotterdam, Lodz and Budapest.

Name

Rush Group

Legal name

Rush Group Limited

Website

https://rushgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rush Group is a UK-headquartered B2B fresh-produce supplier that farms, packs and delivers fruit and vegetables to major European retailers (ALDI, Lidl, Carrefour, Co-op, SPAR, EDEKA, Biedronka) and food-service distributors (Sysco, Brakes, Mindful Chef) across multiple country offices on 365-day, same/next-day delivery terms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Supply

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Vegetable Wholesale (AFAIACAB), Fresh-Cut & Value-Added Produce (Washed, Peeled, Sliced, Packaged) (AFAKAFAA), Fresh Produce Packhouses (Fruits & Vegetables) (AFAOAGAA)

Keywords

• Fresh produce supply
• Fruit and vegetable distribution
• Potato farming operations
• Agricultural product sourcing
• Value-added vegetable processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Primary revenue from farming, storing, packing and delivering fruit and vegetables to markets across Europe. Revenue generated through direct sales to retailers, wholesale markets, food service providers, and processing industries. Operations run 365 days a year with strategically located production sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rush Group farms, stores, packs and delivers fruit and vegetables to markets across Europe 365 days a year, supplying major retail chains, wholesale markets, food service providers and processing industries. The company combines own production (notably 200 hectares in Portugal and operations in Egypt's Nile Delta) with a partner grower network, runs a BRC certified packhouse in Lincolnshire, and processes surplus/out-grade produce into value-added ready-prepped products via its Fairfield Fresh subsidiary.

Product overview

Rush Group is a fresh produce company specializing in vegetables and fruit, operating as a unified farming, storage, packing, and delivery operation across Europe and beyond. The core product portfolio consists of fresh produce categories including sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, brassicas (cabbage varieties, cauliflower, broccoli), squash, ginger, and fruit (citrus, pome fruits, grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, melons). The company operates Rush Farms as its primary farming sub-brand for vegetable production in the UK and Portugal, while Fairfield Fresh serves as the processing subsidiary that transforms surplus and off-specification produce into ready-prepped value-added products. All products are certified and traceable to meet supermarket and consumer requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, brassicas, squash, ginger) Range of high-quality fresh vegetables farmed via own production and partner growers, supplied to European retailers, wholesale markets, food service providers and processing industries on a year-round basis.
• Fresh fruit (citrus, pome fruit, grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, melons) Range of high-quality fresh fruit sourced and delivered to European retailers, wholesale markets and food service providers with in-house quality, food safety and logistics oversight.
• Fairfield Fresh value-added processing (peeled, cut, cubed and frozen vegetable products) Processing subsidiary that transforms surplus or out-grade produce (due to size, shape or superficial damage) into ready-prepped consumer products such as peeled sweet potato fries and butternut squash cubes, reducing food waste while creating additional value.
• Rush Farms (UK and Portugal farming operations) Rush Group's farming sub-brand covering sustainable and responsible vegetable production, including a BRC certified packhouse in Lincolnshire and 200 hectares of farmland in full production year-round in Santarém, Portugal, combining own production with a partner grower network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million meals worth of produce diverted to FareShare, reducing food waste
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FareSharecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019FareShare partnership for diverting surplus or off-specification vegetables to charities supporting people facing food insecurity. Since 2019, Rush Group has diverted 5 million meals worth of produce. This partnership reflects Rush Group's commitment to sustainability and minimizing food waste throughout their supply chain. Recognized as FareShare's 2022 Leading Food Partner.
• Fairfield FreshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfield Fresh is a subsidiary that processes surplus/out-grade produce (due to size, shape or superficial damage) into ready-prepped consumer products such as peeled sweet potato fries and butternut squash cubes. This upcycling operation reduces food waste while creating additional value from produce that would otherwise be discarded.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Worldwide Fruit: UK-based fresh produce supplier specializing in apples, pears, citrus, and other fruit supplied to British and European retailers; comparable UK-headquartered competitor in the same retail channels Rush Group serves.
• Greenyard: Belgian-headquartered global fresh produce supplier with vertically integrated farming, packing, and distribution to European retailers; the closest large-scale analog to Rush Group's integrated model and customer base (Lidl, Carrefour, EDEKA, SPAR).
• Special Fruit: Belgian fresh produce importer and distributor sourcing from global grower networks to supply European retailers and food service; closely comparable in mid-sized, multi-category fresh produce wholesale with strong retail customer roster.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Vertically integrated global producer, transporter, and distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables with European distribution operations; directly comparable in supplying major supermarket chains with certified, traceable fresh produce.
• Fyffes: Irish-headquartered fresh produce grower, shipper, and distributor (now part of Sumitomo Corporation's food group) supplying supermarkets across Europe with bananas, pineapples, and other fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Dole plc: Formed from the merger of Total Produce and Dole, one of the largest fresh produce growers and suppliers worldwide with multi-category fruit and vegetable operations and direct retail supply relationships across Europe.
• SVZ International: European supplier of fruit and vegetable ingredients and purees sourced from a global grower network and supplied to food manufacturers and retailers; comparable in combining own production with partner-grower sourcing for B2B fresh and processed produce.
• Bonduelle: French-headquartered vegetable specialist with own farming, packhouse operations, and processing into fresh, frozen, and canned prepared vegetable products; highly comparable to Rush Group's farm-to-packer-to-processor model.
• Cobana Fruchtring: German fresh produce marketing and distribution group sourcing from global grower partners and supplying German and European discount and supermarket retailers (including ALDI and Lidl); highly comparable multi-category produce supplier with similar retailer customers.

Regional players

• Berry Gardens: UK-based grower-owned berry supplier marketing soft fruit to British retailers; comparable UK fresh-produce cooperative model serving similar supermarkets, though narrower in category focus (berries only).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rushproduce
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/rush_group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rush-group

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Rush Group