WHO WE ARE

David Foster, Director

When David joined the French Garden family he brought with him a wealth of experience gathered over more than three decades in the trade. After leaving school at sixteen he joined the family business, working first in wholesale delivery then helping to establish an award winning greengrocers in Thornbury.

In 1980 David started as a salesman in Bristol Market at Superior International then Eurofruit before a spell back in retail and eventually returning to the market where he joined Bristol Fruits in 1990. Over the next twenty years he rose through the ranks to become South West Sales Director.

In July 2010 he joined forces with Grenville Snowdon and the late Phillip Marsh to found French Garden Bristol, a quality driven wholesaler dealing in the very best produce, both local and global. As David always says, ‘Quality isn’t expensive, it’s priceless’.

Paul Davis, Director

Like David Foster, Paul too had a solid background of eleven years’ experience at Bristol Market, also working for Bristol Fruits, first in the exotic section and later in the salads department, before joining the fledgling French Garden Bristol in September 2010.

Disenchanted with his uninspiring bank job Paul fell into the market business after a chance meeting through a friend but instantly took to his new career like a duck to water.

Now a director, he has since played a key role in making the company what it is today. A bona fide foodie, Paul’s passion for fresh ingredients fuel his enthusiasm outside of work both cooking and dining out.

Rob Tucker, Sales & Procurement

What started off as a couple of weeks’ work helping to get the company off the ground in August 2010 has turned into a full time committed job for Rob, who originally comes from a sporting background.

After graduating from The University of Gloucester Rob had a successful career coaching young tennis players and running activity camps throughout Europe and Egypt, but a favour to David Foster took him in a welcome new direction, starting at grass roots level as a cashier at French Garden Bristol.

He has made swift progress, in a few short years, moving out onto the floor as a salesman and, these days, playing an important active part in procurement, with an ever increasing portfolio of suppliers and growers under his belt. This progression, covering all aspects of the trade, has given Rob an invaluable understanding of the business as a whole.

Ben Bloodworth, Sales & Marketing

A former musician in a band, Ben has accrued many years of experience in the other side of the business working in high-end food retail, as a cheesemonger, a greengrocer and then in restaurant supply, before moving over to the wholesale market.

Seeing both sides of the fresh produce industry has been invaluable experience and has given Ben a real understanding of the customer's needs and the retailer's expectations.

As a lifelong food enthusiast his passionate interest in fresh produce soon eclipsed his desire to keep travelling the country and he gave up pursuing the rock and roll life. He joined the company in 2011 and is a valuable asset to the sales and marketing team, ensuring our Twitter feed always represents the quality of French Garden.

Gary Kitchen, Transport Manager

Gary was a transport manager in Bristol Market for ten years but only joined French Garden Bristol in January 2014 when the company began introducing their own vehicles.

He single-handedly coordinates the movements of the company’s two lorries, two drivers and a delivery van as well as driving himself, taking our produce across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and up to Oxford on a daily, and often twice daily basis.

A former qualified printer Gary got his HGV licence 15 years ago when the printing industry diminished and enjoyed his change of career, but his skills are not limited to transport, and these days you are just as likely to find him making up orders, organising staff rotas or helping out in the cash office, as you are to see him arranging transport issues.