Purely Organic
When did they start up in business?
Purely Organic began producing fresh and smoked trout from its current base in 1999, but the company's history pre-dates this location.
It was set up in 1997 by its owners, Tony Free and his wife, Eleanor. They set up the company to provide boxes of organic produce to households. It's important to note that Purely Organic still supplies an organic box scheme, but it no longer operates the scheme itself. This service is now controlled by a larger, specialist organic box company.
The farm shop supplies an organic box scheme operated by Abel and Cole. Image Copyright: Biz/ed Team.
Tony and Eleanor Free have not always run an organic food business; initially they owned a computer maintenance firm. But they had grown their own food before and in their own words, it was the 'taste of carrots', grown organically which was behind their idea of producing and selling organic food to the market.
In 1998, the company expanded into the high street, leasing a small shop in Devizes, Wiltshire. This was its first foray into the traditional retail sector, but it was followed up with further expansion. Purely Organic opened a shop in Frome, Somerset and then expanded with a retail outlet in the city of Bath.