Written by Kate Parker. Managing Director
Now, more than ever it is important to support our growers. Covid 19 has caused disruption to everyone with frustration, sadness, angst featuring high in all our lives. Keeping the nation healthy and fed is now the top of all our lists.
Supporting local has now become a priority for everyone, and along with supporting local businesses to try and survive this crisis, our farmers are working hard to put food on everyone’s table. There are so many heroes from our Health workers to shop assistants and delivery drivers, keeping the nation going.
Many growers recognized the need to keep their staff safe and implemented a strict “no contact” regime early on. At Derwent Buyers Group, we not only recognized the need to keep staff safe, but also to keep them working and supporting our customers during ever increasing difficult times for all.
As a buying group, purchasing many of the necessary inputs for growers, we took the steps to implement continuity for all. IT equipment and phone lines were all put in place long before “lockdown” to enable staff to continue working and supporting. Discussions took place with all our distribution to not only ensure the safety of all essential workers, but that safe practice was carried out to keep our nation fed.
With a small, dedicated team we have kept our customers going with very little interruption. The difficulties of remote working were resolved long before we were told to “socially distance”.
2020 was meant to be a celebration of 25 years in the industry, planned as a milestone, a story of success, and maybe it is; because we have succeeded in continuing, succeeded in supporting and succeeded in growing.
“I recognized that some of my staff as parents would need to work remotely, and their support during this time has kept the business and our growers supported. I cannot praise them highly enough; their total dedication is a credit to them all and the business”
