When it comes to buying produce, fresh is best. Have you ever wondered how fresh the produce is that you buy from the grocery store? Before they reach your kitchen, some fruits and vegetables have been traveling for quite some time. To offer the freshest produce available, Concord Food Centre shops at the Ontario Food Terminal regularly.

“Everything stems from our focus on quality and freshness,” says Anthony Greco, produce buyer and great grandson of Joseph Greco, the founder of Concord Food Centre. “We’re very consistent in what we provide to our customers and cater to their needs.” The retail grocery industry is very large and competitive, and independent grocers need to provide exemplary customer service and products to keep their competitive edge. “Customers don’t tend to remember the problem, but how we fix the problem,” says Greco adding shopping should be an experience, not a chore.

“My father, grandfather and I go down to the food terminal four days a week to hand pick the produce,” explains Greco. Other independent groceries may hire buyers to select produce, but Concord’s customer can rest assured that the owners have spent time scrutinizing the available produce and buying only the best that is available.

Everything that is bought at the food terminal arrives at Concord within a few hours. Not only do customers get the freshest produce available, it also increases the shelf life when the customers take their fruit and vegetables home.

“I think it helps that we don’t have a warehouse, because everything we buy can be at the store three hours later.”

Aside from picking up the items on your shopping list, Concord also sells fresh cut flowers that are purchased at the Food Terminal on a biweekly basis. Customers can choose from a huge selection of mixed bouquet, bunches of roses, and other seasonal blooms.

The high end independent grocer has two locations serving York region – Concord Food Centre in Thornhill and Oak Ridges Food Markets in Richmond Hill.

For more information on fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers available at Concord Foods, visit www.concordfoodcentre.com.