A history of Griffin & Brand
Originally a marketing company set up to manage carrot, and onions from Texas in the USA. Griffin & Brands rapid expansion in the 1970’s saw both the customer base and the seasonal product range develop to include strawberries, avocados, asparagus, papayas, kiwis, grapes & stone fruit.
Tony Elliott was one of the pioneers and was one of the first to import kiwi fruit, Iceberg lettuce, long stem strawberries and Texas ruby grapefruit from the USA.
Our customer base is varied from retail and convenience to food service, processing & catering sectors
Supplying Grapes 52 weeks of the year to our retail partners and being the largest importer of grapes from Mexico in the 1990’s was instrumental in the decision to focus entirely on being Grape experts. We source our Grapes from 31 grower groups in 11 countries on 5 continents and ensuring 52 week availability.
However, we are not just grape experts; we also have solid knowledge on other fresh produce and have many excellent connections within the industry
Alongside our Import business; we also have a dedicated team that manages Service Provision, 3rd party storing, packing and transport. Within our Grade “A+” BRC accredited facility; we are able to process Soft Fruit, Soft Dates, Avocados, Cherries, Stone Fruit & Grapes.
Griffin & Brand remains a family owned company; with the second generation Mark Elliott (Managing Director) at the helm, and supported by fellow director Matt Surgeon. A recent addition and the third generation of Elliott’s to join Griffin & Brand is Mark’s son Joe Elliott.
We are based in Ashford in Kent and currently employ around 100+ staff.
