Greengrocers travel around Kent hospitals to offer healthy options

Credit: Five a Day Greengrocer

Medway Maritime Hospital is the newest addition to the list of hospitals in Kent where Five a Day greengrocers sell fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The family business has fruit stands in Sidcup and Dartford twice a week, and in Ashford, Margate, Canterbury and Medway once a week.

David Chamberlain came up with the idea after not finding enough healthy products in hospitals.

“My grandma was sick a couple of years ago. She was in the hospital for a few days and they were just eating out of vending machines and cheese toasties and stuff like that – nothing healthy,” he said. 

Five a Day Greengrocer is a family-run business

David comes from a family of greengrocers with his and his wife’s family selling fruit and vegetables for about a hundred years. 

They used to trade in markets and shops until David “thought of a new direction for the business”.

The project led by David and his cousin Stuart Mead was launched last June in Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup, but has since expanded.

“When you apply to a hospital there are so many hurdles.

“You have to find someone who believes in your idea, and then they’ll help you push it through.

“It’s really hard work. We leave on Sunday evening, 10 o’clock at night, and we finish three hospitals on Monday at six-seven in the evening. A 20-hour day,” David said.

The company sells a wide range of fruits and vegetables

David said there had been plenty of positive feedback from the NHS trusts and patients, with people posting comments about the stalls on social media.

“The staff love it. A lot of the staff in the NHS work really long hours and they very rarely get a chance to visit a farmer’s market for fresh products.

“A lot of people are saying they are eating more vegetables because we’re here,” David said.

Five a Day greengrocers are hoping to keep growing the business. They are currently in talks with hospitals in Crawley and Brighton.

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