When it comes to fruit and veg, you could say brothers Nick and Joe Fowler know their onions… and their tomatoes, strawberries and broccoli for that matter. The owners of produce and fine food business Smith and Brock – suppliers to some of the UK’s top restaurants – have been in the industry from a young age. Growing up, they worked for their dad’s wholesale produce business, and it’s here you could say that they first developed an appreciation for that perfectly ripe peach or asparagus cut fresh from the ground, and the other produce top chefs love to cook with. 

As adults the pair tried out roles in different jobs (Nick in accountancy and Joe in veg box schemes) but the call of the family food business became too strong and they returned, setting up the new generation Smith and Brock in 2016. The idea at the time was simple, and remains so to this day – to source and supply the best ingredients in an honest and traceable way, working with great producers and providing a personal and reliable service for restaurants.

Initially the focus was solely on fruit and veg, ‘anything that falls off the tree or comes out of the ground,’ as Nick describes it. But over the years this has evolved to also include fine foods, from gourmet cheeses and slow-reared meat, to deli items such as pulses, olive oil and vinegar, all sourced from the most interesting, artisan makers around Europe. This has meant nurturing relationships with suppliers, some of whom they have known for 15 years or more, from the days of helping out their dad. 'Some of the farms we work with we first visited in our teenage years, now it's the second or third generations who are running things, it’s great to see' Nick reflects. ‘Many of our suppliers are family businesses, like ours, and cooperatives. We enjoy collaborating with smaller, independent producers like that; those people who are as passionate about what they do as we are.’ 

Working this way they also have developed a kind of sixth sense for hunting down great ingredients, searching out niche products and small producers hidden in pockets across Spain, France and Italy, in order to supply their restaurant clients with what they need. This has meant bumpy van drives out across the French countryside to sample sublime artisanal charcuterie, or along hot and winding Sicilian roads following a tip off about an extraordinary passion fruit grower – the only one of its kind on the island.   

As well as this direct sourcing, Smith and Brock, of course, work with wholesale markets, and have a dedicated team based at the famous Marche de Rungis in Paris. This vast 242 acres food market is the second largest in the world and is a food-lovers’ dream, with halls packed with heaving stalls of the freshest fruit, veg, meat, cheese, fish, pastries and dried goods. Smith and Brock’s squad of specialists know the different sections, sellers and produce by heart, which means they are able to find the absolute best quality ingredients the moment they hit their juicy peak. ‘Our team is out there, buying on the pen-knife, finding the best apricots or nectarines that specific day or even minute,’ says Nick. ‘We act as our chefs’ eyes and ears on the ground at the market and are in constant contact with them about what’s in and what they might want.’ This collaborative approach is loved by chefs such as Tom Aikens, who has been with Smith and Brock since he opened his restaurant Muse in 2019. ‘They are in constant contact with us on WhatsApp,' says Tom, ‘giving us up to date market reports on what’s looking and tasting the best. It means we can plan our menus carefully and cost-effectively, which is more important than ever before in today’s climate.’

Smith and Brock also offer a bespoke ‘sur measure’ service, tailoring their produce sourcing to the direct requirements and requests of their chef clients, sourcing produce of the perfect size, shape and taste needed for particular dishes. This might be for Helen Darroze at The Connaught, who recently needed figs exactly 5-6cms across, or Alain Ducasse who asked them to find one of the oldest varieties of beetroot, the crapaudine, with its dark, almost black flesh, for The Dorchester menu. 

Indeed their client list reads like a who’s who of the Michelin-starred world, including Clare Smyth’s Core by Clare, The Wolseley and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir. One long-standing client is Galvin restaurants, who have been relying on them for their fresh produce and artisan fine foods for many decades. This includes specialties such as barbary duck, the pork belly you will find on the Sunday menu at Galvin La Chapelle, charcuterie and cheeses at Galvin Bistrot and Bar, and even the French butter served with the bread course. Chris and Jeff Galvin tell us, ‘as with all of our suppliers, Smith and Brock share our ethics and ethos, emphasising sustainability, seasonality, and locality. They’re a chef’s dream to work with.’

Making that connection between produce and chefs more tangible is another key part of what Smith and Brock do. The team regularly takes a group of selected restaurant clients on a (literal) field trip, in order to meet suppliers and see, first hand, how their ingredients are grown or made. ‘It’s great to get chefs out of the four walls of their kitchens and into the countryside, really getting involved with the produce,’ says Nick. ‘It helps them appreciate the work and skill involved in growing and how hard it is. On the other side, the growers get an understanding of where their veg goes and how it is treated. We recently took Angela Hartnett’s squad out to Sicily to see where their tomatoes are produced. And we also bussed a group of chefs from Farmer J in London to our broccoli farm in Spalding. It was a brilliant exchange, the chefs learnt about how the cauliflower is grown and harvested. Then the chefs cooked a barbecue for the farmers out in the middle of the fields and had them trying charred cauliflower with tahini, it was fantastic!’

Working with fruit and veg and the seasons brings with it an inherent connection with the soil and its ecosystems, as well as the climate. It makes sense, then, that  sustainability is a core principle of the business at Smith and Brock. ‘Specialising in produce that comes out of the land means we know how vital it is to protect our ecosystems’ says Nick. The company’s sustainable policy includes a commitment to sourcing and transporting goods as efficiently as possible and minimising waste – they have recently introduced a fleet of electric cargo bikes for local deliveries. And they are working hard in other areas to increase the amount of eco-friendly packaging used for products and promoting British growers wherever possible. This is something which Adam Handling, customer and chef at Michelin-starred The Frog restaurant in Covent Garden appreciates, ‘my food is all about sustainable British luxury and Smith and Brock pioneer young, up-and-coming farmers, bringing their produce to our doorstep.’ Like the baby veg in Adam’s delicious dish which pairs the British produce with lamb sweetbread parcels. 

And if supplying the best restaurants in the UK wasn’t enough, the brothers are also involved in the running of Sylva, a restaurant next to their wholesale premises in Deptford. This is open to company staff, who use it a bit like a canteen (lucky them!), as well as the public. The menu here is a vehicle for the ‘imperfect’ fruit and veg that doesn’t make the Michelin-grade, but is still of exceptional quality and perfectly delicious. In the kitchens, chef Shuli Wimer, previously of River Café, turns these crates of ‘second class’ produce into glorious seasonal lunches with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavour. Plus, they open in the evening for dinner on a Thursday, with a menu that changes weekly and uses a broader range of more premium ingredients.

Whether the produce finds its way into a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant or Michelin-starred restaurants, the ethos of Smith and Brock is clear; they’re the eyes and ears on the ground for chefs up and down the country, bringing them the finest, sustainably grown produce. In doing so, they nurture important ecosystems, both planetary and professional.