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Abel & Cole: The Greener Grocer

June 21st, 2007

Keith Abel started Abel & Cole in 1988, borrowing money from his big brother and recruiting his friends to sell potatoes door-to-door in south London.

At this stage Keith had no idea what organic was. After speaking to an organic farmer he asked his supplier at the time about what he used to fertilise his crops and keep the pests off. When the farmer opened the shed doors Keith was understandably shocked. The next day he bought some organic potatoes and organic home delivery began for Abel & Cole.

Since then we’ve carried on in the same way, trying to treat our customers, staff and suppliers alike in a fair and decent way, and being constantly amazed at how rare this is in the modern food industry. We’ve met farmers that have been bullied, humiliated and bankrupted by the supermarkets, constantly reminded that there would always be others to take their places if they didn’t comply. No-one said a word against the supermarkets publicly, afraid of being put out of business.

Thankfully, if you are prepared to show that you’re not a lightweight and stick to your principles, the great British public will support you. In the last fifteen years, one big virtuous circle has grown. Every part of the business is carried out with the utmost regard for the environment. We deliver to each area just once a week, taking the most fuel-efficient route to reduce food miles and emissions. We started putting a biodiesel mix in our vans about 8 or 9 years ago and are currently experimenting with a van that runs entirely on used chip fat (it’s going well, but has an unmistakeable whiff of fish and chips). We never air freight, always use minimal packaging, and get the boxes back from our customers to reuse. And best of all, the hard-working farmers that supported us in the first place are now sustainably getting on with what they do best without a gun in their backs.

The photo above is one of Abel & Cole’s trusted suppliers Nick Gosling with one of his lovely cows from Berkeley farm dairy in Wiltshire.