A TRIP TO MORAYSHIRE SEES US CATCH UP WITH STALWARTS OF LOCAL PRODUCE THE REID FAMILY AMONGST PERFECT ROWS OF FANTASTIC PRODUCE.

At Williamson Foodservice the concept of ‘family’ extends to our suppliers and having greeted many of these at our Walkabout trade show in Inverness over the years, it was time to get back to our roots and visit a local farm where much of our seasonal and fresh produce is sourced.

The Reid’s have supplied Williamson Foodservice with high quality, locally sourced produce for many years. Their Morayshire holding which has been farmed by their family since the 1940s is spread across two locations at Kinloss near Forres. It is situated just 25 miles from our main warehouse operation in Inverness.

They take time to explain the delicate balance needed with challenges like the weather. When we met them hand harvesting Lollo Rosso from perfectly long straight ‘drills’ of these deep ruby red and very delicious salad leaves, the sun was beating down on us. The ups and downs of summers especially years like this one we are currently in with hot temperatures and heavy downpours has made the crops particularly challenging.

On either side of the Lollo Rosso was Oakleaf and as its name suggests this is a much leafier salad that provides chefs with a different texture to work with complementing the Lollo’s vivid red. Iceberg lettuce and more traditional Flat Lettuce are also in abundance. The leaves being harvested were on their way to Inverness by lunchtime and in the kitchens of Williamson’s customers then onto the plates of diners across the Highlands within 24 hours.

These salad crops are planted from Springtime and staggered across the rest of the Summer to be harvested up until the early frosts of October and November. This phased approach to planting ensures the crop isn’t ready all at once and gives chefs a plentiful supply of local product for as long as possible. It also guarantees that all important provenance and local story the end consumer is increasingly interested in knowing about these days.

The Reid’s farm around 65 acres and if you consider a football pitch is about 1.5 acres and the Reid’s employ no-one but themselves, you really do have to take your hat off to this hard working local supplier who is so highly committed to quality.

Not only this, but it’s not difficult to work out how much of this wonderful produce is destined for our warehouse in Inverness because the simple answer is… it’s virtually all for Williamson’s! Although some of this land is held over for barley which helps with crop rotation and is used in whisky making, the other produce we buy is vegetables. This includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes and Romanesco (Romanesque).

A quick five minute drive took us to where these crops are located in another part of Kinloss that is straddled by the main Inverness to Aberdeen rail line. Like the salads, perfect rows of maturing ‘greens’ are in abundance in these lovely rich soils and all are staggered to ensure these last all the way to the end of the year and provide a local and tasty supply of Brussels Sprouts in time for Christmas.