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About us

Part of the ESG group

East of Scotland Growers are a farmer owned growing cooperative based in Cupar, Fife. Our main crops are Broccoli, Brussels sprouts & Cauliflower, along with a wider range of vegetable crops produced in the fertile Scottish soils over a 180 mile radius.

Established in 1987 with the purpose of providing the individual grower the benefits of being part of a larger group, allowing all members to grow together for the future.  ESG are recognised by the European Union as a Producer Organisation; a producer organisation being a group of growers that work collectively as an organisation for the benefit of the grower. ESG take great pride in this recognition.

East of Scotland Grower's Website

Growing together for the future

In May 2024, two long-established companies, R & K Drysdale and East of Scotland Growers, joined forces to create one of the UK’s largest vegetable suppliers.

We have combined the sophisticated packing capabilities and long-term customer relationships of Drysdale with the excellent growing capabilities of East of Scotland Growers to form ESG Drysdale.

With operations from the Scottish Borders to Fife & Angus, we cover a large geographic area of prime agricultural land to grow and pack classic vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, sprouts, leeks & swede.

Accreditations

We’re proudly accredited to Red Tractor Assurance, LEAF Marque, GlobalGAP and Organic Soil Association standards.

All of our packhouses hold a minimum of BRCGS as well as Organic certification.

We’re members of Sedex and our ethical standards are routinely verified through the SMETA scheme.

We’re also accredited to the Environmental scheme ISO 14001.

Get in touch with our Technical team for more information

Uncompromising Quality

We are dedicated to delivering exceptional quality throughout every stage of production, from planting to packing. Our rigorous processes ensure that our produce meet high standards of freshness and shelf life.

End-to-End Resilience

As a co-operative, we leverage the strength and collaboration of our members to maintain stability throughout the supply chain. Our geographical spread allows us to de-risk crops by growing across multiple regions, ensuring consistent supply through local challenges. This enables us to deliver reliable, high-quality service day in and day out.

Innovation

We have always been at the forefront of R&D, embracing state-of-the-art technologies like AI and automation to future-proof our business from field to factory. These innovations boost efficiency, reduce waste, and drive sustainable practices tailored to the unique needs of agriculture.

Our history

1968

The founding Drysdale brothers – Robin and Kim Drysdale grew their first Swede. This is where our R & K initials originate.

1985

We moved to our current site in the old slate quarry (now Drysdale Quarry). We made our shift from a farmer/grower business into a factory capable of supplying retail – securing our first retail contract in the same year.

1988

We grew our first crop of Brussels Sprouts alongside Swede – initially planned to extend the English season post-Christmas, with a narrow supply window of January and February.

1991

We were the first supplier of Swede 12 months of the year with supply partners from New Zealand and Tasmania.
We built our Swede Prep department – utilising whole head by-product into peeled and diced added value products.

1999

Building on our value add of the 90s, we developed our site to create a new sprout peeling department and secured retailer contracts in the same year for these new product lines.

We were also the first supplier to have UK swede 12 months of the year through developments in long term summer storage to bridge the gap of old and new season.

2002

To cater for an increasing demand for summer sprouts – we became the first supplier to have an all year round solution on Brussels Sprouts – through the development of key import partners in Europe and Africa, we continue to be the largest importer of sprouts in the UK throughout the out-of-UK season months.

2008

We added Leeks to our portfolio – becoming the only commercial grower of Scottish leeks.

2015 – 2020

We added a variety of crops to our offering including White Turnips, Kalettes, Garden Peas and Broad Beans.

2022

Seen significant multi-million pound investment in our site – including automation and optical grading, upgraded refrigeration and a new 6,000 tonnes chill.

2023

Through our development with East of Scotland Growers Ltd, we added further Summer Brassicas to our portfolio including Broccoli and Cauliflower.

East of Scotland Grower Chairman’s message

Since establishment in 1987, ESG has developed into one of the leading suppliers of fresh and frozen Brassicas in the UK.  Operating collectively has created scale and diversity, pushed innovation and efficiencies that has allowed each members’ farming businesses to reach markets and customers not easily accessible as individual businesses.

This is achieved through allowing members to concentrate on the growing aspect of the business in the knowledge that they will be supported by ESG staff in all other areas of production including planning, logistics, research and development, as well as agronomy, technical and marketing advice. Going forward, the ESG team continue to seek new opportunities for its members.
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