Our Orchard

Boxfresh Organics is the leading organic home delivery company in our region, carrying out deliveries in the west of England and the east of Wales. Formerly two separate businesses, Flights Orchard Organics, based in Herefordshire and Boxfresh Organics, based in Shropshire, have been trading as one since 2007.

Flights Orchard Organics – the early years

Mike Hamilton and John Davenport set up Flights Orchard Organics in 2001. Originally wholesaleing organic produce from John’s own Flights Orchard Farm, and a loose cooperative of seven other growers based an Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Mike and John soon decided to start their own organic veg box delivery service to complement the fledgling wholesale business. The Flights box scheme took off and grew rapidly between 2002 and 2007, delivering in the Midlands and Welsh Borders. Flights has always worked on the basis of local produce for local people and a fair price for all.

Boxfresh Organics – the early years

In 2002 just a year after the start of Flights Orchard Organics, Des Walker and Debra Reece started Boxfresh Organics in central Shropshire. After moving from London to find the good life in rural Shropshire, Des and Debra were struck by the lack of a home delivery organic box service in the county and decided to take the bull by the horns and start their own service. From humble beginnings delivering just a dozen boxes, Boxfresh sourced locally grown organic produce from within Shropshire and also from the wholesale arm of Flights Orchard Organics. As with Flights, Boxfresh grew rapidly throughout the early years of the new century covering much of Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire Mid and North Wales.

Joining forces

Flights and Boxfresh’s core principles – that what people really wanted and what really changed food supply was producing and delivering local food – have always been the same and in 2007 we got talking and comparing what we do - we found was that by joining forces we were able to reduce food miles, supply even more locally grown produce and improve our facilities and services.

The Farm

One of the benefits of the merger was that it enabled the business to buy its own land - the beautiful Upper House Fruit Farm in Summer 2007. This orchard was already organic and would almost certainly have ended up going back to intensive, conventional production or pony paddocks so the opportunity to save it was too great to miss. This gem has 14 varieties of traditional apple, 2 pears and 5 plums and we have also started growing brassicas and laying eggs!

Where we are now?

So just after a year of joining forces we have decided to have a re-brand and for our Home Delivery Service will now use the Boxfresh name as it more accurately reflects what we do and to keep the Flights name solely for our wholesale business.