It’s a funny thing, bringing life into this world. It sounds like a great idea in theory as you start planning the future, buying equipment and enjoying the build-up to the new arrival. And then it happens and all your illusions are shattered. Faced with the unshakeable, relentless and unavoidable reality that you have to keep this little thing alive – every single day – many of us feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
But plants, veggies, fruit and pulses are more resilient than you think. The task may feel daunting but they simply need light, food and a little bit of TLC. And when the reward comes at six weeks….that first tentative shoot….it all becomes worthwhile.
At Quattro Foods we like to strike a happy balance between work and play. And if we can bring the two together in harmony, even better. Food is our work, our passion and our joy. So we decided to start growing our own. In the office. Well, in the office garden.
It’s a trend that caught on like lightning and suddenly many of us are growing fruit and vegetables. To add some excitement (and a competitive edge) to the mix, we’ve started swapping seedlings with colleagues. We’ve even been plotting about increasing our growing space, to make room in our make-shift greenhouses and gardens to increase the number of crops we can grow.
Don’t look at us like that – we are a food manufacturing business after all!
Our esteemed leader Sam has allowed us to take a glimpse into her office garden. Yes, Sam we’ll be very careful. No, Sam, of course we won’t touch.
Sam proudly lists the mouth-watering products that are apparently taking shape under the soil. Here is what she is growing, so far:
• Petite pois
• Broad beans
• Helda beans
• Bortlotti beans
• 5 types of potato (to take her through the seasons)
• Garlic
• Red onions
• White onions
• Spring onions
• Asparagus
• Leeks
• Squash
• Courgettes
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Tomatoes (a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes)
• Peppers
• Chillies
• Radishes
• Parsnips
• Salad leaves
• Rocket
• Herbs
• Apples (for eating and cooking)
• Pears
• Plums
• Cherries
• Blackcurrants
• Rhubarb
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Gooseberries
• Water melons (thank you, Cibele!)
She has some cucumber and squash plants going spare if you’d like to pop by the offices, with cabbage and cauliflower to follow shortly, all grown from seed! Ever-generous, Sam and the team plan their home menus together daily so that they can share and take home everything they need for dinner. They’re having fun, their wallets are heavier and their families are happy. It’s win, win!
In the garden we see a verdant array of green shoots of various sizes. Not quite a full-blown fruit and veg garden but there’s no denying that life is taking shape in that soil. Now that’s what we call a sustainable way of running a food manufacturing company!
Maybe, just maybe, these crops of ours will be used in the Quattro kitchens someday. Our chefs use locally grown, organic produce, and what could be more locally grown than these?
Sam is working on them – watch this space!