Redbridge Holdings today confirmed its commitment to the Department of Health's 5-a-day programme by pledging to help reach independent retailers and caterers.

Redbridge has a national wholesale presence through its network of 12 branches, which could spread the 5-a-day message across 200-300 retailers per branch with a programme of activity beginning on March 31. This will include 5-a-day open days on the market, 5-a-day branding at all branches, direct mail to its customer base, a promotional vehicle that will include free product and 5-a-day promotional material, and help with creating 5-a-day displays.

Redbridge has exclusive relationships with retailers, caterers and the wholesale market sector so is uniquely placed within the industry, and envisages that activity will also spread to its Caterfresh division which supplies the catering and food service sector.

Steve Harrison, Redbridge's business development director, said: 'Getting people to eat more fruit and vegetables obviously makes good commercial sense for Redbridge and the produce industry but it makes great health sense for all of us. We are committed to getting these messages out into the market place as much as possible so we will do whatever we can to help reach out to the trade, the retailers and consumers.' This activity extends Redbridge's current involvement in the 5-a-day programme beyond the National School Fruit Scheme – for which Redbridge recently celebrated being awarded the distribution contract for the scheme in the North West of England.

Redbridge in Hereford has also been distributing fruit to 250 schools in Hereford and Worcester for the last nine months and has had this contract extended for a further 12 months.