Guy Singh-Watson, founder of the organic vegetable box company Riverford, reflects on his nearly four-decade journey from starting with three acres of organic vegetables to leading a business that now serves 70,000 customers weekly and achieved a turnover of £117 million last year.
Singh-Watson, 66, who established Riverford in the mid-1980s, left a career in management consultancy to return to his parents' farm in Devon. He began cultivating organic vegetables a year after planting his initial three acres. In the early days, produce was delivered to local greengrocers by 9 a.m. or sold from the back of his car in Totnes.
Early Growth and Challenges
The company officially launched as Riverford in 1987. Significant growth occurred in the late 1990s as organic produce became more aspirational. However, Singh-Watson encountered difficulties when expanding to sell to organic wholesalers in London, describing one experience as being "robbed blind" by a buyer who declared bankruptcy and quickly resumed trading. This period, he noted, was an "eye-opener" that fueled his determination to foster more humane relationships with suppliers than those he observed between supermarkets and farmers.
By 2007, twenty years after its launch, Riverford had achieved approximately £30 million in sales. The UK was then one of Europe's largest markets for organic produce.
Transition to Employee Ownership
In 2018, Singh-Watson sold 74 percent of his Riverford shares to an employee trust. Before selling his final stake in 2023 for £9.8 million, he established Riverford's supplier charter, committing the company to avoid "wasteful and abusive" practices. He has expressed a desire for supermarkets to adopt similar principles, stating, "The world would be a better place if those relationships were humane."
Riverford is now entirely owned by its more than 1,000 employees, representing a significant example of employee ownership in the UK. Singh-Watson described the transition as "an absolute success," emphasizing that empowering a larger number of people to have a say has led to better decision-making by leveraging diverse perspectives.
Advocacy and Philosophy
Singh-Watson has been an active campaigner, taking the government to court in 1999 over genetically modified crops and speaking out against intensive farming. He is currently spearheading a UK campaign to ban the use of the weedkiller glyphosate during harvest time. He acknowledges being a "controversial figure," citing his support for farmers paying inheritance tax.
He advocates for the thriving of farming, particularly smaller, mixed farms, and takes pride in Riverford's contribution to supporting suppliers who might not otherwise remain in business. Customer trust, built over 40 years, is also a source of pride, especially when customers are willing to pay a premium for food they believe is produced in a better way.
Singh-Watson's business philosophy emphasizes knowing the customer deeply, understanding their cooking habits, and how products fit into their lives. He admits to being occasionally "too guided" by his personal vision of the world rather than purely commercial interests. He also shared a leadership lesson from his first employee, John, who pointed out that "not everyone is like you," a realization that helped Singh-Watson understand different work paces and perspectives.
Riverford continues to operate with an employee-owned model, with Singh-Watson having transitioned out of his final stake. The company's journey highlights a sustained commitment to organic principles and an alternative business model focused on employee well-being and fair supplier relationships.