The company was formed in 1942 at the peak of the Second World War and from its inception - as a supplier and importer of potato flakes and dried milk - we have continued to be food industry innovators.
In 1984 Gerry Costa and Carlos Ballester bought the company to distribute fresh fruit, vegetables and dried fruits into UK pre-packer companies for the rapidly expanding British supermarket trade.
Briess soon became the biggest importer of Spanish courgettes and aubergines, and quickly expanded its operations into root vegetables, importing carrots, new potatoes and onions.
We also exported seed potatoes all over the world as market demand escalated.
Soon our commitment to overseas growers in helping develop organic crops did not go unnoticed by Sainsbury's: they positively encouraged the trend with our supply lines in Spain, and other European and North African countries. We were pioneers of the Organic Farmers & Growers Association.
Briess quickly became the biggest importer of organic carrots and the first to use Big Bags to transport carrots, and later parsnips from Spain and France to the UK prepack food trade.
In the 1990's we added bunched carrots to our Sainsbury's produce range, and also for other multiples.
Since becoming part of the Produce World Group we have consolidated our product range to concentrate on offering larger supplies of conventional and organic carrots, parsnips, tomatoes (cherry, santa and vine varieties), and onions and beetroot from our growers in France and Spain.
Latest News
Best Supplier Technical Service Award for Marshalls
We are delighted to announce that at the recent Sainsburys Brand Conference, held at their Holborn offices on 26th April 2010, Marshalls were presented with the award for Best Supplier Technical Service by Judith Batchelar, Director for Sainsburys Brand.
Food and Drink iNet Innovation Award Winners 2009
At the Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards 2009, held in Leicester on Tuesday 17th November, the Food Processing Faraday Award for Most Innovative Large Food and Drink Manufacturer went to Marshalls (part of the Produce World Group), Butterwick, Boston, for the development of bellaverdeŽ sweet stem broccoli, that was launched in July 2009, and created in conjunction with Seminis.
