How coronavirus lockdown led to a flourishing sideline for a Guiseley wholesale business

For the last 20 years and more, Threshfield Foods Group, owned by Mick Buck and son Richard, had been delivering food supplies from its warehouse to schools, canteens, hotels and pubs.

However, when the government imposed tightened lockdown restrictions on March 23, that trade was suddenly taken away and only customers at care homes and hospitals remained.

It left the business having to furlough some staff and wondering how they would carry on having lost more than three quarters of its usual trade.

But, a business project that the company had tried and shelved last year suddenly flourished and The Veg Box Co saw a sudden demand which has taken off over the last few weeks.

Doorstep deliveries of fruit boxes, salad boxes, vegetables and other items Threshfield stocked in the warehouse, such as bread, cheese, flour and juice, have recouped around 35 per cent of trade.

Mr Buck said: "We set it up (The Veg Box Co) and shelved it because it did not pick up and we concentrated on the wholesale but then it took off on its own. We were down 80 per cent and it was very worrying but the girls in the office noticed we had lots of orders coming in so we posted on facebook about people ordering direct from us and that took off."

The warehouse is also open for the public to buy from in person, and always had been, but again - wasn't picked up on by customers.

Mr Buck added: "It is like a mini farm shop. We have stock every day and the public come every day. We are getting new customers every day and they are coming for various reasons. We have a variety of stock that is coming in every day, it is fresh, it is a warehouse they can come to, not queuing at a supermarket and we are local.

"They didn't know they could come and buy here so we are getting new customers every day. It has been interesting and I enjoy the shop and the interaction with people that you don't get with wholesale."

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