| Quality | Service | Expertise | Ideals | Seasonality |
A Community PartnerAt the heart of our work is a belief in the importance of community spirit and local pride. In a world of fast food and struggling town centres where every High Street has begun to look like any other, Arcade Fruits makes a refreshing change, striving to move against the trends and maintain the distinctive identity of Ilkley's town centre. We promote strong principles in the way we source, sell and do business and work with a wide variety of customers and partners using ethical business principles based on trust and mutual support. We source goods from other local businesses and promote collaborative partnerships, providing sustainability in an intensely competitive market place. A few examples of this work in the community include, promoting and selling fresh bread baked by the new start up business 'Treacle Moon', buying organic vegetables from local farmers, sourcing fair trade and organic goods. We also regularly sponsor and support local organisations such as Ilkley Operatics Society, Westville House School and Ilkley Grammar. 
Our shop is staffed by friendly people who are prepared to go that extra mile in giving a good and caring service. For example, we run a delivery service that is used by elderly people who find it increasingly difficult to get out of their homes. We run a weekly box scheme, delivering seasonal fruit and vegetables to a range of homes and families. Our principles extend to the recruitment and education of our staff. We generate local employment for up to ten people, providing the first experiences of work for school children to the last experiences of work for retired adults. Throughout this experience we instil a love for food and an appreciation of the variety available to the consumer. RecyclingAs they say every little helps and we try to do our bit for the environment. If you have clean carrier bags that could be reused please bring them back and put them in the recycling bin at the shop. The Impact of SupermarketsIf any of you have become concerned by the domination of supermarkets in the market place, take a look at Shopped by Joanna Blythman (2004). We have a copy in our shop if you ever fancy browsing through it we'll make you a cup of tea while you do. Her findings are disturbing and confirm many of our deepest concerns and fears for the food industry. As Joanna says: SustainabilityOur business strategy is to provide choice but also to educate the consumer to be able to demand the best and ensure that town centres still have something to offer the next generation in terms of a sustainable socio-economic future. The key challenges facing our sector include the standardising influence of the global market and the huge power that supermarkets wield in the food industry, squeezing the market, standardising variety and through mass production crushing small scale suppliers. You can see this through the struggling farming industry and the decline of small shops on the high street. Our work shows that difference and variety is a desirable commodity and that consumers should demand the best in terms of flavour. We promote this through individual product launches, through collaborative support to other organisations such as Common Ground and through a highly dedicated and skilled approach to the running of our businesses. We feel that our business demonstrates to the consumer that in the food industry it should not all be about price. We show others that it's worth paying extra for a sustainable future that will add value both for the product, the individual and ultimately the community. Organic & Local Foods
Where possible we use local and organic growers and producers. We buy direct from the growers or through Bradford and Manchester wholesale markets.
We would always welcome enquiries from local growers or farmers looking for a new outlet for their produce. Supporting Heritage VarietiesWe are committed to sourcing and maintaining variety in our produce, a variety that would otherwise be lost to our customers. If a fruit is not the correct shape, size, colour or does not respond well to pesticides or fertilisers it is cut from the supermarket shelves. We work hard to protect these products, not just because of our commitment to the heritage of food, but also because the taste and flavour is usually far superior. Examples of specific product launches in this range include:
We also support the European movement 'Slow Food'.
Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. 
Examples of the products we source and provide for our customers, promoting food from the region of origin include:
|
||
| Contact us: South Hawksworth St, Ilkley, LS29 9DX (map); Tel. 01943 602447; email | ||
'Whatever the fruit or vegetable, the main driver for research and breeding nowadays is the will to reshape the natural order to fit supermarket criteria. That has created a bonanza for bland tasting, high yielding F1 hybrid varieties because they fit the supermarket stereotype and perform well when used in conjunction with synthetic fertlilisers and pesticides. Often such varieties are genetically very similar ... meanwhile more intrinsically flavoursome, genetically diverse and interesting varieties are disappearing from commercial production, grown only by allotment holders and keen gardeners' (Pp. 222 Blythman 2004).