Known for his love of the very freshest local produce, chef and fishmonger Willie Little has teamed up with a Coupar Angus man who is fast making a name for himself in the specialist vegetable market.

John Hepburn-Wright has been supplying Willie and other top chefs across the area for the past eighteen months, growing small amounts of more unusual and sought after vegetables and micro herbs, much beloved by top restauranteurs. These include yellow and purple “green” beans, purple sprouting broccoli, heritage carrots, golden beets, turnips, squashes, pumpkins, shoots…. a positive cornucopia of rainbow coloured produce of the highest quality.

At first John just used his own allotment but with business growing, he recently rented a seven acre plot from a local farmer, giving him much more scope to cultivate. Along with supplying local restaurants and cafes, John is now a regular at Farmers Markets in the region, including Perth, and has a raft of local domestic customers who receive a £10 weekly vegetable box from him.

Said John: “I am delighted with the way things are going. It was the right decision to rent the seven acres. As well as supplying chefs like Willie I am now expanding to Perth with both domestic and corporate customers. The vegetable boxes are going down very well, I supply well over twenty a week so far, and I hope to be able to offer different sizes and varieties soon.”

“It’s a bit of a change from my former job which was in renewable energy with the National Trust for Scotland,” he said, “Horticulture was my first degree, and indeed, my first love, so I am delighted to be making a successful business out of something I enjoy so much.”

Finished John: “I very much appreciate the custom and support of Willie Little, who is held in very high regard in these parts by the culinary fraternity, and I know he takes his sourcing very seriously indeed.”

Said Willie Little: “John’s vegetables are excellent, some of the very best I have seen, and I wish him success with the business as it grows in the area. I am happy to recommend him, as we want to see more of these types of unusual vegetables readily available for everyone to try.”

www.thewrightroot.co.uk.