Over 100 years of history
A small fruit shop in Paul Street, Exeter was the foundation for a century of commerce for this Westcountry champion of local producers.
When we acquired F Milford & Sons in 2018, we enabled this family-run business to expand further but maintain its heritage in the city that established it.
The Milfords Story
Less than two decades after that humble fruit shop was opened, and with the help of three sons, the company moved into the wholesale business and bought new premises in King Street. At this time, all the fruit and veg was collected by horse and cart from Newton Abbot train station and delivered to the local markets and shops.
As times changed, deliveries moved to lorries but the family’s progressive ideas didn’t stop there. Milford’s Fruit and Veg became the first company in the area to pre-pack potatoes under their own brand and until 1964 even ripened their own bananas in specially built gas fired rooms.
Milford’s Fruit and Veg made good use of their strong relationships with local growers and extensive product knowledge – and today’s top quality range of seasonal produce bears witness to that. Their mission has always been to cut down on food miles and support local suppliers – and by incorporating Milford’s Fruit and Veg into Best of the West, we are able to maintain that work and preserve the company’s legacy.