OUR HISTORY
Where it began
Bedfordshire Farming cooperative is started by a group of like-minded growers producing Brassica crops in the fertile soils of Bedfordshire.
1963 – 1980
Bedfordshire Farming cooperative was started by a group of like-minded growers producing Brassica crops in the fertile soils of Bedfordshire. By the mid-70s Bedfordshire Growers was one of the foremost producers of Brussel Sprouts.
1980 – 2000
Bedfordshire Growers start to commercially grow Onions, initially Brown onions followed by being the first company to introduce Red Onions to the UK, with a little help from a Delia Smith recipe.
The business went on to pioneer the CA long term storage technology enabling a 4-month extension to the British Onion season.
2000 – 2018
For the past 20 years we have been at the forefront of Allium development in the UK. Introducing the Echalion Shallot and becoming the first grower to have year-round supply of traditional Shallots.
With flavor at the heart of all of our innovation we now grow the largest amount of British Sweet Onions, grown to have a low pungency and perfect sweetness. In 2016 we launched our own breeding line which was a Sweet Red variety, the first true red sweet variety in the world.
2014 we were delighted to be awarded vegetable grower of the year and followed that with Innovation of the year in 2015.
2018 – Today
In 2020 a new chilled dispatch, storage, and handling area and packhouse was opened. This increased capacity now provides storage, handling and cross docking services for the business and other food and flower companies.