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Choice Organics was founded in 1991 by Martin Freemantle. Choice Organics are specialist importers and wholesalers of fresh organic fruit and vegetables, not only from the United Kingdom but from a wide selection of countries across Europe and beyond. Read about the Choice Organics evolution below.
“I grew up on Turrell Hill Farm, a 1000 acre farm in Overton, Hampshire, where my Father was the foreman. During my early teens it changed from a mixed farm (chickens, vegetables, beef, dairy and arable) to just arable.  It is now part of Laverstoke Park Farm, owned by Jody Scheckter and farmed Bio-dynamically.
After leaving school at 16, in May, I worked on the farm for the busy summer period, until harvesting in September. On an arable based farm there is not so much to do over winter, until planting starts in the spring, so I looked for a job around Overton.
I found work in a local conventional produce wholesalers called GDS, where I started in the warehouse and soon moved into the office. I left aged 17 to open my first shop. It was called Hill Farm Produce Centre, located between Winchester & Stockbridge. I would go daily to the Fruit & Vegetable markets of Southampton to get the produce I needed. Soon I started a wholesale division and began supplying restaurants with high class products – at that time items such as broccoli, asparagus and snow peas (mange tout) were hard to come by. I could find these products at the markets and if I could also get hold of strawberries, ogen melons or Kenyan extra-fine beans I could always find customers. I was made a good offer for the business so I sold it and moved on. At 18 I bought a much bigger shop at a garden centre near Reading . I started up again, this time using the markets of Western International and New Covent Garden. One of my customers was The Yew Tree, owned by Marco Pierre White. It became too much for me to run both the shop and the wholesale business so I brought in a friend – and ended up selling him the whole business.
As luck would have it, I was then called by my mentor Clive Green, who took me on aged 16 at GDS. He had just been employed to help save a struggling business called Organic Farm Foods (London) Limited in London . I agreed to come and have a look - this was my first introduction to organics.
After working there for a few years, on my 21st birthday I left to manage Odin UK (subsidiary of Odin Holland) in New Covent Garden Market. I later managed Bio Nature in New Covent Garden and worked closely with Organic Farmers and Growers marketing division.
In 1991 I decided to set up my own company called Choice Organics and specialised in supplying the best organic produce I could find to London and the surrounding area. In 1994 I decided to take a partner into the business - Huntley Oxley. He had enthusiasm to burn and his passion was developing the organic movement. Unfortunately, Huntley died in a road accident on his way home in 1997.
The business continued to grow throughout the 90's. I established partnerships with growers and distributors from Wales and Cambridgeshire, combining forces to create an efficient distribution network. Local growers started to plan their crops to supply Choice Organics as demand increased. Food-scares such as BSE and Genetic Modification only helped the independent organic business as more and more people took an interest in the quality and purity of their food.”
Martin Freemantle.
In 2005 we moved to our present premises in Wandsworth - a custom built depot with state-of-the-art refrigeration.
We buy from selected growers throughout the U.K., many of whom have long-standing relationships with us. We also buy from agents throughout Europe who will pick the best of the local crops available to them.
From further afield we get tropical fruits from the West Indies and seasonal crops from South America, Africa and New Zealand.
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