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About us
A dynamic pioneer, a culture of quality and smart branding; this is why the Jack Buck group of companies is today recognised as one of the most entrepreneurial
and innovative in the UK. Consisting of Jack Buck (Farms) Limited, Jack Buck Growers and Jack Buck Foods, this forward-looking organisation provides a discerning and demanding customer-base with a
portfolio of products and services that are unique in the industry today.
Committed to doing the difficult things well, this
Holbeach-based group understands that quality is the
measure of a business. That is why it takes pride in its
extensive quality assurance and food safety
programmes. In fact, every step of the way, the group
monitors its processes to ensure that nothing but the
finest quality vegetables ever reach the customer.
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Jack Buck Farms
Jack Buck Farms, of course, has been working the land
in Lincolnshire for a considerable number of years, with
the fourth generation of the family, led by managing
director Robin, continually raising the bar in order to
set new standards. A member of several co-operative groups, as well as
being a member of the leading producer organisation,
Global Salads, Jack Buck Farms’ philosophy is centred
upon experimentation. Indeed, its motto could well be ‘if you don’t make mistakes, you don’t make anything’,
and this enlightened approach has allowed it to hone
its skills and services to such a degree that it genuinely
does give its clients a competitive advantage.
Growing a variety of crops - allowing for wide
rotations to improve quality, as well as reducing
chemical inputs Jack Buck Farms works 1000 acres of
grade one silt soil and boasts some of the most
talented and motivated growers around. This is vitally
important when you grow crops such as celeriac, which
requires high quality handling at every stage.
A member of the Assured Produce Scheme and
LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), Jack Buck
Farms prides itself on traceability and, growing speciality
vegetables and root crops primarily for the quality retail
outlets, is renowned for its unrivalled customer service.
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Jack Buck Growers
Jack Buck Growers are both the packers and the
marketing arm for niche market crops and, since its
inception in 1983, its ability to provide complete
customer service has set it apart from the competition.
Centred on the processing and packing of celeriac
and chicory. Jack Buck Growers is committed to quality
and service 365 days of the year. It follows the Fresh
Produce Consortium's codes of practice, has the
British Retail Consortium Accreditation (Higher Level),
operates a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Food
Safety System (HACCPS) and has Soil Association
Certification.
As the marketing arm for the speciality crops grown
by the six members of its growing group, Jack Buck
Growers is committed to diversification, filling a market
niche, and adding value. Indeed, constantly looking at
specialist crops that will give customers an edge in the
marketplace, Jack Buck Growers will try anything: a
philosophy that has led to the successful growing
and/or packing of fennel, pak choi and artichokes, in
addition to the main crops mentioned above. They
have on-site hydroponic dark rooms for forcing chicory
that are unique in the UK.
A member of Global Salads, Jack Buck Growers offer
both conventional and organic celeriac. Moreover, in an
age where it seems every type of fresh produce has to
be aesthetically pleasing, it has branded it ‘The Ugly
One’! Born in 1987, ‘The Ugly One’ is this year celebrating
his 18th birthday and, as is befitting of such a milestone,
he has received a complete makeover. This kind of
brand awareness is typical of Jack Buck Growers, which
is very much a company of marketers. For the team is
continually looking at category management,
developing new concepts and ideas to present to their
main clients, the leading UK supermarkets and
wholesale markets.
In addition to having its own brand
of celeriac, Jack Buck Growers also create recipe labels
and leaflets: in fact, any sort of promotional activity
that’s going to get it into the spotlight and encourage
people to trade into the product.
Celeriac may be a very ugly and underrated
vegetable, but it has a unique taste that allows it to be
the main ingredient for a dish without the flavour
overpowering it - hence experimentation with celeriac
is a must. As they say at Jack Buck Growers, 'it's flavour
not glamour'!
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Jack Buck Foods
Jack Buck Foods has a purpose built factory with a true
high care area that serves leading players in the
processing industry, such as Geest. The most recently
established of the trio of companies that go to make up
the Jack Buck Group, it first opened its doors for
business in November 1999 with the aim of preparing
speciality vegetables and salads for both existing and
new customers.
Market orientated and adding value to all of its
products, Jack Buck Foods has the ability to peel, chop,
slice, dice and shred to customer specifications (both
conventional and organic). Again, this side of the
organisation has a philosophy that centres around
experimentation and, although it is looking to
increasingly use produce grown by the group itself, it
has diversified into a range of other products such as
beetroot and peppers – crops that other producers
aren’t keen to take on.
This can be for a variety of
reasons, such as the extensive wash down procedures,
which can be quite time consuming, and the fact that
produce may have to be hand-cut. So the company has
carved itself a nice little niche in this specialist area.
This does not mean, however, that it is not investing
in the future. Far from it, with the entire group
constantly looking to move forward. Jack Food Foods,
for instance, has moved towards being a fully
automated pepper-de-coring operation and is looking to further differentiate organic preparation.
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