New Concept in Fresh Food Retailing for Marlborough

Two iconic food retailers from Nelson are teaming up to deliver an exciting new concept in fresh food retailing in Blenheim.

Benge & Co Green Grocers (which owns Nelson and Stoke Fresh Fruit and Veg – a winner in the recent Top Shop awards) and iconic fish retailer Guytons which has been in business for over 30 years, are teaming up to bring fresh local produce and fish to Marlborough residents.

The new store, which will be located in the old Caltex building at 20 Grove Road, Blenheim (opposite the Saturday Market), opens at 8.00am on Tuesday, 11 January 2011.

Colin Benge, owner of Benge & Co Green Grocers says both he and Guyton’s general manager Andy Leonard, believe the new store will fill a gap in the market.

“Marlborough is a renowned ‘foodie’ destination and both Andy and I get a lot of people – particularly chefs, coming into our stores saying they’d love to see shops like ours in Blenheim.

“We believe our approach of personally selecting our produce each day will be popular in an area where people really care about the quality and freshness of their food,” says Colin.

Guytons general manager Andy Leonard says fish processed in Guyton’s Nelson factory will be couriered fresh to Blenheim twice a day. Guytons stocks a wide range of fresh and frozen fish as well as shellfish, smoked fish and seasonal products such as whitebait, and mutton birds.

He believes there are some great synergies between the two businesses - which is the reason they decided to team up. The men first came up with the idea during one of their long training runs – they are both keen sportspeople who regularly train together. (Colin Benge is a former Nelson Bays rugby captain and Andy Leonard, a former representative cricket player).

“It turned out that we had both been investigating opportunities in Marlborough - and we quickly saw benefits and convenience for customers in providing these two ‘missing pieces’ in the same location. There was also a great alignment between our businesses in terms of our focus on delivering quality customer service and freshness at an affordable price,” says Andy.

Colin Benge, who has previously worked at gourmet food retailer Moore Wilsons in Wellington, and owned and managed a café, believes shopping for food should be “a joy rather than a chore.”

“We’re aiming to help with that by providing a lively, friendly community environment as well as quality produce at a fair price that our customers can be proud to serve for their friends and family,” he says.

The store, which offers easy access and plenty of parking, will stock produce from several Marlborough growers and suppliers including Uncle Joes, Annies Fruit Bars, Thymebank salads and herbs, cherry growers and Hedgegrow Hydroponics to name just a few.

The store will be open Monday to Saturday from 11 January 2011. Store opening hours will be 8.00am -6.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.00am – 4.00pm on Saturdays.

ENDS

© Scoop Media