Boasting a turnover of some £98.5 million for the year to 31 December 2013, Sussex-headquartered Barfoots of Botley – which is approaching its 40th birthday – has come a long way since it was established in 1976 as VH Barfoot and Son.
There has been a fair bit of restructuring since then, and in its current guise as the Barfoots group that we know today, the business supplies leading British restaurants and supermarkets, employs more than 200 people, and has farms in Spain and
Senegal.
Barfoots specialises in exotic veg, asparagus, sweet potato, legumes, squash, chilli, sweetcorn and rhubarb.
As for how it achieved its latest turnover, Barfoots MD Julian Marks tells FPJ that it was through “staying relevant to the changing market, employing some of the industry’s best people, and being indispensable to customers.”
The company has a forward-thinking strategy for how it will grow the business in future. “We aim to generate profitable growth through improving our core business activities, expanding our markets and winning new customers with innovative products that improve the consumer’s experience,” Marks says.
The UK market is at the heart of this growth strategy, as Marks notes: “The UK is our core – where our farming heritage lies, and where some of the best retailers in the world operate. Even in a chaotic marketplace, there remain many more opportunities to develop.”
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