TWO of Southampton's oldest fresh produce importers and distributors, A G Benfield and A Phillips (Brokers), have merged their interests to become Benfield Phillips.

The new company will continue to occupy Phillips' 9,000 sq ft warehouse in Queensway, which it first occupied in 1958.

The Benfield family, which can trace its history in the trade back three generations, first opened for business in 1928. Last year it sold its own premises to developers.

Directors Guy Benfield and Mike Chase report the move went well.

"We were delighted with the good wishes we received from growers and customers alike,'' said Mr Benfield. "The spring was a perfect time to consolidate just before some of the most popular lines such as Jersey potatoes, English asparagus and the first English strawberries begin to arrive.

"This is a particularly busy time, not just because of the perishability and fast volume build-up but the additional fact that this year the good weather has meant that we expect harvesting to be early.''

Mr Chase also reveals that there have been some subtle changes in consumers' tastes. He said: "While bananas, apples and easy peelers are still the most popular fruit, we are getting more and more inquiries for tropical and subtropical exotics. Fruit such as pineapples, avocados and kiwi fruit are already well established on the retail shelf, and now we are seeing the next wave, which include papaya and mangoes.''

When the produce arrives at Queensway from as far away as Africa, South America as well as Europe, it does not stop travelling. Benfield Phillips' customers, which include specialist retailers and catering firms, can be as far afield as Dorset, Sussex, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, so it is unsurprising that work starts as early as 2am, finishing about noon to ensure that produce is delivered fresh.