Grower Profiles

Alfred G Pearce Ltd Managing Director Simon Pearce

Most of us have grown up eating carrots, but Simon Pearce has probably eaten more than most - his family have been growing them in Norfolk since 1959.

Today he and his brother Jonathan run the family business started by his father Alfred over 45 years ago. Back then, the business was limited to selling fresh carrots locally or canning them, as this was the only way of preserving them.

"Things have moved on a lot since then", says Simon. "Nowadays we sell carrots to our customers in every shape and form you could imagine. Cut into batons, shapes, fresh, frozen - you name it, we do it".

But the one thing that hasn't changed is the importance they place on the taste and appearance of their carrots. Since the days when Alfred Pearce sold fresh carrots to his local customers, to today when the company supplies manufacturers up and down the country, flavour is still top of the list.

"Taste is probably the single most important thing to our customers. They are using carrots in their dishes because they give a lovely flavour so many different dishes and, of course, they add fantastic colour."

Simon featuring in PR material for McDonald's

Based near King's Lynn in Norfolk, Alfred G Pearce Ltd sells around 45,000 tons of carrots every year. The east coast of the UK has historically been a very good area for carrots - from Suffolk and Norfolk right up to East Yorkshire and the East of Scotland - mainly due to the lighter soils and the lower frost temperatures provided by the coastal areas.

So why does Simon love carrots so much? "I love their versatility: there aren't many vegetables that can be grown year-round and it's one of the few vegetables that you can eat hot or cold. It always amazes me when I see where our carrots end up - they are used in anything from carrot cakes to salads, stir fries, ready meals and even baby food."

And his favourite way to eat carrots? "Raw", says Simon, "just grated into a salad - perfect."