Mr. Jacobs, thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to talk to us today about your wonderful new shop, which I visited myself a couple of days ago.0:04
So tell us what made you decide to open a shop selling organic produce?0:15
I'm really pleased you like the shop.0:21
Well, business aims aside, the main reason for starting this venture was to bring good quality food at affordable prices to the people of Camden.0:24
At the moment we only sell organic fruit and vegetables, but we hope as the business grows to include organic meat and other organic produce such as cheese and eggs.0:34
You've certainly got off to a good start.0:46
Your shop seems to be the talk of the town at the moment.0:49
Can you tell us in more detail about why you wanted to sell organic fruit and veg?0:52
Firstly, I'm not a Londoner.0:58
I grew up on my parents farm in Kent and every meal we ate was made using fresh produce from the fields.1:01
So I think an awareness of good quality food was instilled in me from an early age.1:08
I didn't know though, how lucky I was until I moved to London and and saw how hard it is to get really fresh, high quality farm produce.1:14
I mean, most of the fruit and veg in supermarkets is prepackaged and may have travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles before it gets to the shops.1:24
It's not really fresh at all.1:35
So you don't think there is good quality food to be found in London?1:38
Oh no, I'm not saying that.1:42
You can find almost anything you could possibly want in London if you know where to go.1:44
But the thing is, most of the specialty shops are very expensive, particularly those selling organic produce.1:50
It's very difficult to find good produce at reasonable prices.1:58
I realized there was a gap in the market and that I could sell a high quality product that was not beyond the pocket of most people.2:02
I think everyone deserves to have access to good fresh food, not just people with an above average income.2:11
Was your parents farm organic?2:19
The demand for organic produce is a relatively new thing and when I was growing up, very few farms were organic.2:22
It's only in recent years that people have begun to question the idea of spraying crops with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.2:31
People are quite rightly concerned about the health impacts of these chemicals on our food and this has led to the growth of organic farming.2:40
The only problem is that organic products tend to be far higher than the price of conventionally farmed goods.2:48
This is partly because the costs of organic farming are higher, but also because organic goods are very Fashionable at the moment.2:56
Once you realized there was a need for affordable organic produce, what did you do next?3:04
Well, I approached my parents to see what they thought of the idea.3:10
My mother has always approved of organic farming even though it requires a lot more time and effort to tend to the crops.3:15
So when I raised the subject with her and told her about the rising demand for such goods in London, she was all for it.3:22
My father, however, was a little apprehensive at first, but it didn't take long to make him see the benefits of getting involved in this growing sector of farming.3:31
To be honest, all the produce you sell comes from your parents farm then?3:41
It's great working with my parents and it's wonderful to be linked to the farm again all the way from London.3:47
Hopefully people will pick up on the family nature of this venture.3:54
It's a more personal approach which I think is really important as shopping in big supermarkets can feel a bit cold and impersonal.3:58
Even if we expand as a business, I want to keep it friendly.4:08
A shop with a personal touch.4:12
Just the way shops were in the past when local people would meet up in the grocers for a chat as they did their shopping.4:14
I fully intend to be on first name terms with all my customers once I get to know them.4:22
And expansion is on the cards, is it?4:29
Of course it may take a while as we are a new business but.4:31
But the plan is to extend the range of organic products we sell to include meat and dairy produce and eventually to open more branches in other parts of London.4:35
But expanding the business does not mean that we do not intend to stick to our main principles which are to sell high quality goods at reasonable prices in a friendly neighbourhood shop.4:46
We don't just see ourselves as a business, but as a part of the community.4:57
Well, that just about wraps everything up.5:02
The only thing that remains for me to add is that listeners can find the shop at 27.5:05
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