365 visits Arthur David: ingredients and fine foods supplier in Bristol
Posted on: 29 Jan 2018365Bristol along with our friends over at BARBIE were invited to visit Arthur David, a family run food wholesale business, that has been operating for 51 years in Bristol. Their journey began in the early 1960s, when the farm would serve the needs of local greengrocers. In the time that followed, the business grew into one of the region’s premier fresh produce suppliers, with fresh crops grown onto Arthur’s land. To this day Arthur and his family live only down the road and are very much involved, his son Philip currently runs the business.
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The large site has seen the venture from its early days as a smaller growing farm, to now a huge distribution centre that is home to thousands of food items. From modern ingredients to staple basics, the centre accommodates many unique and cutting-edge products as well as the more standard fruit, veg and ingredients.
We were lucky enough to get a guided tour from Simon Cocking the Sales and Marketing Director, whom is also an ingredients and fine foods specialist, and Simon Harvey the Area Sales Manager for Bristol.
Inside the site, there are 5 sections that are split accordingly into; Frozen, Ambient, Non-Food, Chilled and Fresh Produce.
After visiting the rather large freezer (and quickly exiting due to its extreme temperature), we were taken to the Ambient section. A visual delight, with row upon row of ‘dry’ items. The stock ranges from artisan and speciality ingredients such as fresh honeycomb, gastro paint and acids, to spices, hot chocolate and flour – just a small fraction of the 1800 products in the section.
What was clear to see whilst we were there, is that Simon Cocking knows his stuff when it comes to fine quality foods. Standing beside a shelf of truffle products he tells us to toss tagliatelle with a helping of truffle butter, a method he has tried and tested with Angela Hartnett; as is the case with most of the items in stock. A former chef himself, his genuine passion for ingredients is blatant, so much so that he knows how many nutrients are in micro herbs, and that chicory is good for the gut - might I add.
Arthur David deliver 6 days a week and in that time will transport 14 tons of carrots. They own 103 vehicles, have 430 members of staff, distrubute 300 tons of sugar in a year and sell a total of 1 million pounds worth of food a week.
Every item is diligently sourced to comply with regulations and to ensure that they are of the highest of quality. The team stock safe, well thought through products that are as genuine as can be. It is important that food is sourced from the correct region, such as; mozzarella and truffle butter from Italy, and the fish from the local Severn and Wye river down the road. All the fruit and veg is prepped using their own sanitised spring water, fresh from the Mendip Hills.
A large selection of free from and organic foods are also on offer. With gluten free flours, breads, pancakes, bagels and more. All flour and wheat is British and of the upmost standard.
The ethical nature of Arthur David, is shown in their plan to be completley cardboard free by Easter, using only recyclable plastic instead. They also buy from the Severn Project, a Bristol born social enterprise based company, focused on the community. An initiative that gives disadvantaged and vulnerable people a job in urban growing and farming. Arthur David are also validated by the Red Tractor Logo, which means the way food is farmed and prepared is regularly checked by independent experts to make sure it is of a good standard.
Every item can be sold individually and shipment is not restricted to large quantities. They understand that a small establishment may not need a whole crate of almond milk for example. The flexible nature of the business shows how highly they value their customers. The core family ethos is strongly implemented because they genuinely care about what they do. Simon Harvey tells us that if a customer has a problem with their order, somebody will come out the same day and sort it. If customers request a certain item, it can usually be sourced as quickly as the following day. Arthur David can supply for a small café, or a large hotel, their stock has items for everybody, to suit all cooking styles with high-end to basic produce all under the same roof. 
The team can also offer advice on cooking methods and ingredients, like cocktail ideas for bartenders or imaginative accessories for fine dining restaurants. Many people in the business were chefs themselves in the past. Their wealth of knowledge is there to be taken advantage of and many of the ingredients combine scientific elements – something that is massively on the rise in modern cooking. If anybody in the industry is interested, they are invited to go on a tour of the site, offering potential customers the chance to see for themselves, the impressive quantity of items as well as to hear some expert advice.
Arthur David are also one of the lead sponsors of BARBIE – The Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independent Establishment. This was set up in January 2017 and now has over 3,400 members in the Facebook group and over 90 venue members. BARBIE has been set up to give independent businesses a collective voice with the council and purchasing power as a group, as well as to host networking events for those in the industry.
If you are in the industry, no matter how big or small your establishment, you can contact Simon Harvey to arrange a tour of the Arthur David site.
Simon can be reached on 07717306550 or 03303334441 or Simonharvey@adavid.co.uk
Article by:
Hannah recently graduated with a degree in English with Writing. She is an avid writer, freelancer and creative. She is currently writing her first full-length novel and a collection of poetry. Always out and about in Bristol's music scene, she attends music events on a weekly basis.
