My journey: starting an organic business and finding home in Trumpington
We sat down and had a chat with Duncan, a member of our Customer Service Improvement Panel and a shared owner. He shares his journey of starting his own business and what he likes most about where he lives, along with what led him to join the Panel.
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Where did you grow up and what led you to become a shared owner?
I grew up grew up in Bury St Edmunds and spent my childhood there. When I was 19 I relocated to Cambridge to attend college, and at aged 20 I began my business selling organic fruit and veg direct to people’s doors.
My business was based in Cambridge, but I was commuting from Bury St Edmunds while living with my dad.
Unfortunately, a few years ago he suffered a stroke and passed away quite quickly. This then led to me having to move out of his home in a short space of time. Finding my apartment in Trumpington was a bit of a godsend, it came along at exactly the right time. bpha and the solicitor were able to put the sale through in five weeks, which really helped to ease some of the stress I was going through - having to sort out probate alongside running a business and finding somewhere new to live.
What do you like most about where you live?
Hands down how close it is to Trumpington Meadows - it has a nature reserve, forest and a section of the River Cam. I go there most days whether it’s for a run, a stroll or to spend time near the river. I absolutely love it.
Another thing I really like is its proximity to Cambridge. I can just hop on the park and ride bus and be in the centre in 15 minutes.
You run a direct to door organic veg company, how did that come about?
It was through my dad - he was a serial entrepreneur. He had a string of businesses while I was young including a shop in Bury St Edmunds that was ahead of its time. It sold items loose so there was zero waste. He had a wholefoods business which imported items like dried fruit, as well as an organic orchard with a free-range chicken farm. It was really through him that my love and interest in organic food and fresh produce came from.
He was the one who said to me while I was at college that the next big thing is going to be organic veg boxes, and he was right!
We knew of an organic farmers’ marketing cooperative based in Herefordshire that were packing boxes and looking for people like me to do the last mile of deliveries. Me and some of my college friends did this for a while, but it was the early days of organic veg boxes and we thought the presentation and packaging could be improved. It did ‘plant the seed’ that this was a business that could be done well though.
Over the past 28 years we’ve grown and have 20 employees who pack and deliver the boxes. We made the decision that the person who packs the box is also the person who delivers it, so everybody has their own round. It works out really well because it means the employees have variety of roles and it’s not monotonous and boring. They also have ultimate responsibility over the quality of the boxes.
They build a rapport with customers and know what they like and don’t like. We've still got some customers that have been with us since the first year of business.
We use local suppliers - one original supplier still supplies to us now. At any one time we have around 10 to 15 local farms supplying us with great quality organic produce.
“My dad said to me while I was at college that the next big thing is going to be organic veg boxes, and he was right!”
What made you decide to become an involved customer and a member of the Customer Service Improvement Panel?
I had a complaint about the grounds maintenance at my block. It wasn’t being maintained to a good enough standard. I had gone through the complaints process and then one day I received an email asking if I’d like to apply to become part of the Customer Service Improvement Panel to help improve services.
I have the mindset that if you’re prepared to complain and you are given an opportunity to do something about it, then you should be prepared to step up to the plate. I made the application and was thrilled to be accepted.
I have been a member since August 2025 and it has been fascinating to look at what goes on behind the scenes. I know it’s not practical, but it would be great if every bpha customer could experience it. One of the first things that struck me was that bpha colleagues really do care about the level of service they provide. There is a culture of wanting to improve and to listen. I think the fact that it’s a not-for-profit goes a long way towards that. bpha is there for the customer, not a shareholder.
One thing that I'd like other bpha customers to know is there's definitely an intention and direction of travel within bpha to continually improve services, and if you want to get involved there are opportunities.