Abel & Cole

"2010 ended on a very encouraging note, with healthy sales and a strong, loyal customer base. Throughout the year we improved the quality of our boxes, focused on new marketing materials and increased our customer community through events and social media."

Keith Abel tells us more...

Company profile

Abel & Cole is an organic box scheme that’s been around for over 20 years. Keith Abel started with potatoes and with the help of a couple of organic farmers, branched out into a vegetable box scheme in the early 1990s.

Now Abel & Cole, with Keith still at the helm, delivers a wide range of groceries to approx 30,000 homes across England every week. Customers can exclude things they don’t want from their box and are offered all sorts of foods and household goods that allow people to avoid supermarket shopping all together.

How has the last year been for your business?

2010 ended on a very encouraging note, with healthy sales and a strong, loyal customer base. Throughout the year we improved the quality of our boxes, focused on new marketing materials and increased our customer community through events and social media.

What do you think are the key challenges of today's organic market?

As a naturally holistic approach, organic has more than one USP. This is confusing for customers and dilutes the messages. Is it about the environment? Is it about animal welfare? Is it about British? Is it about food miles? Is it about Peak Oil? Is it about food for schools? Is it about costing more?

Anecdotally, I’ve spoken to intelligent foodies who’d heard that free range meat is higher welfare than organic. They thought organic, for livestock, simply meant different feed.

In 2011, we need to challenge the perception that organic is elite and pricy. We need to remind and educate customers about the reasons to buy organic, and be clear about what it means.

What needs to change in the organic industry to address these challenges?

The Soil Association, along with the rest of the organic community, need to focus efforts on increasing awareness on the key benefits organic farming has for food and health. Â

The perceived ‘costs too much’ or ‘free range is better’ highlights the lack of understanding of the term organic. Marketing, campaigning and awareness raising – in any amount, is something we can all do.

What does the future look like for your business?

The recession hit organics very hard, but we’re through the worst of it. I’m optimistic. 2011 will be an interesting year - one not without its challenges but there are lots of opportunities. We’ll keep on doing what we do, but do it better; celebrating the seasons, inspiring cooks and bringing our customers closer to the people who grow and make their food.

Find out more about Abel & Cole at www.abelandcole.co.uk