Country Style Fruit and Veg
For one family, supporting local produce and helping others do the same, is a full time job.
At Country Style Fruit and Veg, their motto is to provide fresh fruit and veg, straight from the fields and much of their produce is sourced from within 30 miles of Carlisle. They encourage eating in season and their food “tastes like it should do”. Who could argue with that?
Catherine McAleese and her husband, Ross, started selling and supplying locally sourced produce at farmer’s markets and car boot sales across the region 10 years ago. The business grew to meet demand and they opened their first farm shop in Carlisle city centre 5 years ago.
Having always felt passionately about supporting local producers, Catherine explained: “I’ve always thought that we should support our local farmer, it’s been one of my things since day one. Because of the situation now with Brexit, it is important more important than ever.”
After the shop was sadly flooded in Storm Desmond, they made a fresh start and moved to a new premises on Denton Holme Trading Estate. Now they are utilising the wholesale side of the business. As well as supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to hotels, restaurants and takeaways throughout Carlisle, they also work with schools, child minders, nursing homes and even Slimming World groups.
Catherine, who will only eat parsnips grown by her local farmer in Wigton, believes the difference between locally sourced vegetables and those bought from the supermarket is evident in the taste and texture.The aim is to get others, especially children, to enjoy eating fruit and veg because it looks and tastes nice.
Catherine explained: “I want kids to enjoy the fruit instead of being forced to eat it, which is what put me off when I was younger. Local produce definitely tastes better. I have a school who will only eat one specific type of apples, because the kids love the taste, so now I get them in for them, because it’s what they like.”
It’s starting to catch on, but after Storm Desmond, it’s not just the vegetables that Catherine wants to grow organically (sorry), she has long term plans for the wholesale business.
She added: “I want to build it up slowly and progressively, to be someone who is still going to be in business in another 10 years, without forgetting my roots.”
Find Country Style Fruit and Veg at Unit 4, Denton Holme Trading Estate, Chapel Place, CA2 5DF. Contact 01228 595076 or visit www.countrystylefruitandveg.co.uk
