Bidvest Fresh Hamilton and Silwood Exports Enjoy Strong Working Relationship
Bidvest Fresh Hamilton has become an increasingly important customer for Katikati-based Silwood Exports during its development in the past few years.
“As a supplier we have developed a very good relationship with Bidvest Fresh Hamilton. Bidvest Fresh Hamilton have been with us since our inception and have become an increasingly important customer for us,” said Greg Silwood of Silwood Exports.
“Some of our core produce range we supply to Bidvest Fresh Hamilton include edible flowers, microgreens and a variety of salad products,” Silwood said. “At all times we find Bidvest Fresh Hamilton a very professional company to deal with.”
“It has been a win-win relationship for both companies – Bidvest Fresh Hamilton and Silwood Exports - and in business that is the way it should be,” said Silwood.
“Gus (Tissink) and his team at Bidvest Fresh Hamilton accept nothing short of 100 per cent from suppliers and our relationship with them has gone from strength to strength,” said Silwood.
Silwood Exports Ltd is a specialty grower and distributor of niche fresh products.
The company was established in 1987 and has built a reputation on excellence in quality and service as well as being able to offer a product range with a point of difference.
“Our products are developed proactively in conjunction with global food trends and our clients diverse needs,” Silwood said.
Silwood Exports has a small team, many of its staff have been with it for several years. Its growing arm is based in KatiKati and daily operations in the greenhouse are managed by Rob Van Essen.
In Auckland Silwood Exports has a small team made up of its Warehouse and Distribution staff.
“As Director of Silwood Exports I am closely involved with daily operations and liaise with our customers on a daily basis to ensure we are offering the best in seasonal produce along with our core range of products,” Silwood said.
Today’s restaurant consumer has become far more discerning with their tastes and it has become vital for suppliers like Silwood Exports to keep up with the trends in high-end vegetables and greens.
“In order to meet the changing requirements of chefs we are constantly evolving our vegetable product range,” Silwood said.
Silwoods has developed a range of high-end vegetables desired by restaurants and home cooks alike.
Its range includes micro greens, coloured petite carrots, edible flowers, beetroots, watercress, Jerusalem artichokes, turnips, fennel, Goldfinger kumara, purple fresh kumara, chard and lemons.
It has been supplying salad greens to the restaurant industry for almost 20 years and has seen the evolution of salad greens up close.
“The restaurants start the trends,” says Silwood “And then the public demand brings the product into the supermarket.”
Silwood points to the emergence of mesclun in New Zealand as having been important but says he has seen restaurants become increasingly interested in using individual greens or particular combinations of leaf with particular dishes.
The trend with overseas restaurants is for leaf to be graded to a certain size and the trend is now emerging in New Zealand.
Micro greens are the smallest grade and offer a range of intense and interesting flavours.
Micro rocket has a more nutty taste than the peppery one of its more mature variety, for example, while micro chard has a very earthy flavour.
“The restaurants are finding its like opening up a whole new spice draw,” says Silwood.
http://www.facebook.com/BidvestHamilton