Vol 48, No.1 Spring/Summer 2012 - Finlays

Fresh and
Flavoursome
The inclusion of herbs into the product portfolio of our
horticultural business demonstrates our agility, willingness
and determination to capitalise on emerging markets and
changing consumer patterns says Finlays Horticulture Kenya
Produce and Freight Director Thomas Frankum.
In 2011 Finlays Horticulture
Kenya identified an opportunity
to broaden its produce offer and
incorporate fresh herbs into its
own-farm production model.
The initiative was born following
an appreciation of change in
European customer behaviour where a
renaissance in ‘scratch cooking’ is afoot.
This behavioural shift is partly driven
by popular celebrity chefs encouraging
budding cooks to try new tastes and
recipe combinations, and partly by a
trend towards increased home dining,
as customers tighten belts and spend less
money eating out, given the continuing,
sober economic environment.
12 Spring/Summer ’12
Finlays Horticulture Kenya has levered
historic relationships to cement
a buoyant customer base and has taken
advantage of existing company expertise
and geographic production diversity to
ensure that herbs are grown in optimal
conditions, driving strong yield and a
high quality finished product. Cool high
altitude conditions benefit some crops
like parsley whilst low altitude, hot
climates favour others such as basil.
Furthermore, our well developed
trans-Sahara airbridge which operates
every night from Kenya into a British
airport offers a cost effective route to
market for this volumetric and highly
perishable cargo.
Isaac Ndegwa, post harvest herb and vegetable manager, takes stock of a coriander crop.
The array of herbs on offer from Finlays
is impressive, its 16 different types
comprising coriander, flat leaf parsley,
dill, chervil, oregano, tarragon, common
thyme, rosemary, mint, chives, sage, and
basil, together with other less well known
herbs like garlic chives, lemon thyme,
melissa and sweet basil. This broad
product portfolio provides a one-stop
offer for our trading partners. Fresh
herbs, originating from Finlays farms on
the slopes of Mount Kenya, the shores of
Lake Naivasha, the Rift Valley basin and
at lower altitude in Tanzania, are found
on the shelves of M&S, Sainsbury’s and
Tesco in the UK as well as a stable of
European wholesale outlets.
Fresh and Flavoursome
Thomas Frankum
Back on the farm, the inclusion of herbs
greatly assists crop rotation and soil
health, both cornerstones of horticultural
sustainability. It’s really just good old
fashioned farming practice, the
importance of which was first established
and refined in the last millennium during
Britain’s Agricultural Revolution. Rotating
crops and applying sound husbandry
techniques protects the soil and ensures
that we will be able to farm the same
ground for decades to come. Freshness is
guaranteed by the use of bespoke field
harvest and processing machinery which
is in action soon after sunrise, in the cool
of the day, enabling product to hit
continuous cold chain quickly after crops
are cut. A ‘cold chain’, which involves
getting the product cold quickly and
keeping it chilled at between 2 and 4
degrees centigrade until it reaches the
eventual customer, is essential for
product quality. Adherence to such
rigorous post harvest discipline is policed
using complex time and temperature
measures, referred to as degree-hours.
Isaac Ndegwa (pictured left) masterminds
the grass roots herb operation, setting up
planting plans, orchestrating harvest and
managing cold chain and logistics. So,
next time you enjoy a Pimm’s cocktail
with mint, lamb with rosemary, chicken
with tarragon, salmon with dill, a fresh
basil and tomato salad or a green curry
with coriander, your taste buds may have
Isaac to thank!
In 2011 we established a reputation with
herb-buying customers for great quality
and this is now manifesting itself into a
strong order book. Our planting
programme for the 2012/13 season looks
promising, one step closer to making
Finlays the biggest fresh herb grower/
exporter in Africa.
Volume 48/No.1 13