The New Face Of UK Organics – Meet Charles Redfern, Realfoods By Organico

Born back in the late 1990s Organico (now Realfoods by Organico) is on an ambitious NEW push to connect ever growing numbers of food enthusiasts with honest, properly sourced foods and meticulously curated ranges made by small-scale craftspeople.

Best-selling new arrivals include a comprehensive yet moreish range of hand-twisted breadsticks (wholegrain, plus spelt, flax sesame encrusted or classic), some tongue-shaped giant cheeseboard crackers that are ideal for festive cheeseboard get-togethers, two full-bodied passatas (an organic yellow and a cherry tomato), an array of authentic, slow-dried Durum wheat pastas (Girelle, Spaghetti, Strozzapreti, Riccioli, Conchiglie, Penne & Tagliatelle), an anchovy-free Puttanesca sauce, a vegan-friendly Bolognese sauce, some plump organic yellow datterini tomatoes in brine, some organic Balsamic glaze, some specially selected raw apple cider vinegar (and a lot more besides)…….

The coming weeks will see the arrival of some eagerly anticipated Mediterranean-themed pulses and beans.

“There is,” continues Charles, “A rising trend in the UK for high end beans and pulses and it’s definitely true that we should all be shifting our diet to more plant-based food.  But these are also products that really fit the Realfoods philosophy of simple and quick home cooking, a lovely one pot dish that you can make too much of and part freeze for later.”

Unfortunately, it could be argued that organics in the UK has lost its way.  Organics in the UK is a ‘slow burn’ movement standing at around £3bn, still a meaningful voice within the wider UK food and drink (1-2% of total food sales), albeit this is a gentle whisper compared to ‘over the Channel’ where organics sits at the heart of the EU’s Green New Deal policy which targets that 25% of EU land be organic by 2030 and where organic initiatives are visible at all levels of society – in public procurement and school canteens, in retail stores and in farming and environmental policy.  The truth is the 25% target won’t be reached and there is as much back-tracking as there is positive news.  BUT the big difference is organic is on the menu, at the heart of the debate on nature-positive farming and stoutly defended by many experts in the public, private and third sector.  The same is true in the US.  In the UK the silence around the O word is deafening.

“Of course we need to stay positive,” reaffirms Charles Redfern, “but there is a big black hole here in UK policy sector.  On food security and climate resilience, organic is part of the answer – growing stuff here at home.  On vibrant rural communities, organic is part of the answer.  On true cost accounting, i.e. reducing the pollution impact of nature-unfriendly farming and the huge cost we all have to pay out of our taxes for trying to clean that pollution up.  On biodiversity, organic is a huge part of the answer as well as reducing toxic overload on our land and in our waterways, rivers and oceans.  BUT organic also has answers for the massive health and diet crisis we face day in day out.  It’s a little-known fact of organic but if you look at the NOVA definition of ultra-processed foods, then you are by definition avoiding the vast majority of risks by going organic.

It’s worth noting that proportionately Denmark is the biggest organic market in the world (13% of total retail sales with 99% of the population buying organic on a daily basis). 

Farming wise in Austria 35% of all farming land is organic. In Germany, France and Italy this number drops to a ‘still respectable’ 18%, whilst in UK this number slides to a depressingly low 3%. 

In the UK it feels that the organic mission and big picture vision piece has been transferred wholesale to the term regenerative. Whilst the enthusiasm and obvious commitment of farmers and proponents that you see in places like Groundswell for regenerative practices is clear to see, the attempt to argue it out as a more nature-friendly approach than organic and to castigate organic as “a bunch of don’t rules” is both too simplistic and dangerous.

People don’t know that the word regenerative was started in the US by the organic movement over there and the only regenerative logo stateside that has any confidence built into it is the one is first based on organic regulations, it’s called “regenerative organic” basically.   From that perspective, organic is the rules, the controls, the checks AND the legislations, enforced and managed and regenerative is the nature-friendly practices that you actually use on your farm.  The truth is these will differ according to a whole set of personal farming circumstances.

People should be very weary of the way the word regenerative has been co-opted by the multi-national corporations who have brought nature to the brink of collapse by pushing the most intensive mono-crop agriculture in the world, completely reliant on GM and chemical treatment, especially glyphosate.  “They all support regenerative agriculture” Charles cautions “and some with very detailed policy commitments and targets.  I for one don’t want my nature-friendly farming definition to come from the very same companies that have destroyed nature up to this point to sell us the high sugar, high salt, ultra-processed diet which makes up 57% of our UK diet.”

Charles’ love of great food originally stemmed from his half French roots, which sits at the heart of his deep-seated food appreciation, a childhood set in sunnier climes against a backdrop of great food, long benches packed with local fayre, friends and family spending hours sitting outdoors, whilst children played outside.

Organics resonated with Charles’s well-honed food beliefs, that every ingredient used plays a pivotal role in any assigned recipe (no cheap or lazy fillers).  Today, with the ongoing debate raging about the detrimental impact of hyper processed foods, (no emulsifiers, additives, sweeteners, processing aids, lazy fillers….) an organic lifestyle remains one of the easiest ways for many consumers to effortlessly dosge this culinary black hole.

Today the UK like most of the Western World is awash with soulless junk foods, with 57% of all calories consumed in the UK coming from ultra-processed offerings

This Autumn Organico became Realfoods by Organico on account of a root & branch makeover to create a more contemporary yet unapologetic organic hero identity that mirrored the simple, unadulterated joy associated with real foods; bringing a new light-hearted energy and vitality to a wider category historically accused of seeming overtly tired, worthy or aloof.

A new, eye-catching range design in tandem with a light-hearted yet approachable tone effortlessly encompasses the range creating a more engaging informal identity that resonates louder with a new, younger generation of retail buyers.

The back-of-packs celebrate Realfoods unrivalled sustainable credentials (organic accredited, a proud B-Corp and a business that embraces France’s meticulous eco-label system Planet Score) an unrivalled triple lock which underpins its wider biodiversity, climate protecting and no pesticide goals.

Unquestionably the NEW over-arching, designer-led identity places Realfoods Organico  fairly and squarely in the fine food retail space (farm shops, delis, food halls), which is increasingly where the UK’s ‘food curious’ shop.  Indeed, with Generation X now looking ever closer at food in terms of ingredient integrity, nutritional worth and sustainable convictions, this rejuvenated business is perfectly placed to play a leading role in UK organic’s long overdue renaissance.

Organicorealfoods.com