FARM SHOP
While most growers who are involved with retailing vegetables start with a PYO operation or farm shop. Mr Marshall came from the other direction.
He was a retailer before becoming a wholesalers and then a grower. Now he has a retail shop, supplies wholesale markets from Southampton to Glasgow, and has an intensive cabbage growing operation on his small farm.
Thirty years ago, while employed as a produce merchant, he started selling fruit and vegetables from the back of a minivan on Friday evenings and Saturdays. He brought his first shop 30 years ago, and shortly afterwards became a wholesaler as well.
When driving an empty truck to Nottingham market to collect supplies for his shop he realised he could deliver and sell locally grown cauliflowers, cabbage, calabrese and onions.
"It was then I discovered why the Dutch had almost a free hand on our market; the quality of their produce was superior to anything produced here. British growers were not offering the uniformity of heads needed for the modern market - some were too large, others too small. I saw there was a scope to do a better job and I became a specialist grower."

RAPIDLY

The business has built up rapidly. In 1988 40 ton were grown and sold to test the market. By 1994 year this had soared to 2300 ton. A further 500t were traded for other local growers. As well as the wholesale markets some of Mr Marshall's crop is packed for supermarkets.
"We can match or even beat the quality of imports and the big advantage we have is that we are a day nearer the market." "The advantage enjoyed by the Dutch is that they have invested in the crop. we must do the same if we are to compete."