From Pudding Lane, London, to Pinchbeck, Spalding.
Not stops for a new rock band on the its first tour, but the journey taken by JO Sims since it was born in 1896.
Now based in Lincolnshire, the privately-owned family business is best known for its cherries.
As to how it finds itself as big as it is today, JO Sims’ retail sales director, Paul Bailey, says: “Over recent years, we’ve made investments in farms in the UK, Spain, Chile, USA and, most recently, in South Africa, where we’ve bought a controlling interest in what has become the Cherry Ridge farm, giving us and our customers exclusive access to the earliest cherries in the southern hemisphere.
'By investing heavily in our supply base we can ensure the best varieties are planted, and move towards the ‘holy grail’ of an unbroken 52-week cherry supply.”
As well as cherries, JO Sims owns apple farms in Washington State, and is Europe’s largest importer of Indian grapes. In the 1960s, JO Sims started a relationship with Ocean Spray to market its fresh and dried cranberries exclusively in the UK, and the company also supplies ingredients.
Bailey concludes: “2014 is likely to be one of our largest years for turnover. Our belief in getting as close as possible to growing operations to manage quality and supply, and looking for new business opportunities, continues to pay dividends.”
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