Last Friday morning I popped into Harvest Fruiterers & Greengrocers in Boldmere for a chat.
This is where I buy my fruit & veg and I decided to speak Dave, the owner, to find out more about the business, why Harvest do what they do, and why you should consider buying your produce here.
When I arrived, Alan, who previously owned the business, but who knows works in the shop for Dave, was on the shop floor, serving customers. I noticed a great rapport with the customers and the people popping in were stopping by for a chat whilst buying their groceries.
You can't get that kind of humanity from a self service till in a busy supermarket, and it's a lovely element of shopping locally- the shopkeepers really get to know their customers and provide a personalized service.
Dave was out the back of the shop, unloading fresh produce for the day. On the counter was an open bag of grapes that he has been eating earlier. He always tries the produce and has an eye for quality.
I can vouch for this too, because my children always eat all of the fruit I buy from Harvest, whereas they don't always eat the supermarket fruit, due to the fact it's not always ripe and appealing. It's one reason I make the effort to buy fruit and veg locally - it's high quality and I am happy to pay for healthy food that gets eaten rather than thrown away! Whatever you spend on fruit and vegetables, if you're not actually eating them, it's a false economy.
I interrupted Dave in the flow of his work for a chat, and he kindly obliged.
So let's find out a little more about Harvest Fruiterers, and why you should seriously consider shopping here...
Morning, Dave. How long ago did this shop open?
Harvest was established in 2007. Alan was the previous owner and I took over ownership in February 2022.
How did you get into a career as a greengrocer?
I've been doing this for years. I applied for a Saturday job with Alan, who used to have a shop in Cannock. Then, over the years I worked my way up to eventually be in charge of the business, after Alan stepped back.
What do you enjoy about working at Harvest?
It's nice to communicate with customers, have a laugh and get to know people. I am passionate about fresh, quality produce and I love bringing that to people's lives.
What would you like people to know about your produce?
We buy in fresh, every single day. It's high quality (I only stock produce that I would eat, and I have high standards).
It's seasonally sourced; strawberries, asparagus, English spuds, cauliflower, sprouts. Where possible I buy British.
We have just started a recipe wall at the back of the shop where customers can share recipes. Come in and have a look, we welcome new customers and new recipes. We also have a community board where you can share local events and groups.
I can also tailor portions to customer preference for example watermelon slices in summer, half a cabbage, half a honeydew, swede, celeriac.
Why should people buy local?
You will get the best produce. Fresh daily, and excellent quality and taste. In supermarkets, produce goes into gas storage. This is to preserve it, but what actually happens is that once it's out of storage, the produce loses freshness twice as fast. Ours comes in daily, from the farms. So you get the freshness.
(Alan added) Also, if you shop local, you can get your steps in, which is good for your health. Some customers stop by whilst walking their dog, you can bring your dog. Sometimes it's a case of getting into the habit of shopping local, remembering to do it as part of your routine. It's definitely worth it.
When are you open, and how can people pay?
Monday to Saturday 8am-5pm and we take cash or card payment.
Harvest also stock other grocery items, herbs and spices, eggs, and some household items.
As I finished chatting to Dave, he offered me some of the fresh grapes he had been snacking on. And they were delicious.
You can't get a better guarantee than a greengrocer who enjoys to eat their own produce!
Don't just take my word for it - go and check out Harvest Fruiterers & Greengrocers for yourself. I couldn't resist buying some items whilst I was there. And yes, they've all been eaten since I wrote this article.
My name is Tonia, I'm a mum-of-5 and I live in Boldmere.
As a CIMSPA-accredited nutrition coach and personal trainer, I can help you to reach your nutrition, health and fitness goals. I created the
🌱Live Yourself Better approach.
I take a holistic approach to your life, helping you to change habits, and create sustainable changes. No diets or quick fixes.
Why not get in touch for a free consultation by phone or Zoom?
Email me trainertonia@gmail.com or contact me via my website here.
For more ideas about what to do with your fruit and vegetables, please check out my blog, the Five-a-Day Cook here.
You can listen to my recent BBC Radio WM appearance here to find out more about why I set up 🌱Live Yourself Better.
Potentially, around 44.6% of us are not eating 5 of more portions of fruit and vegetables a day. (NHS, 2019/2020)
Why is it important to ensure we eat enough fruit and vegetables?
"The 5 A Day campaign is based on advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer."
5 reasons for eating 5 a day
Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
They're an excellent source of dietary fibre, which can help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
They can help to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy, balanced diet.
Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from."
Source: NHS Why 5-a-Day?