UP to 18 jobs are set to go at the pioneering organic vegetable delivery business Riverford.

The employee-owned business was started in Buckfastleigh.

Riverford has this week announced it is planning to cut 18 jobs, blaming the impact of rising costs due to inflation and the unstable economy.

Chief executive officer Rob Haward said the ‘difficult’ decision had been made ‘with sadness’ and they had done everything they could to avoid it.

He added: ‘Unfortunately, it is now a necessary one, given the increasing financial pressures that we, like many businesses, are experiencing.’

The firm blamed the impact of rising costs, partly caused by inflation and economic instability in the UK.

Mr Haward: ‘It is with much sadness that we are proposing to make 18 roles at Riverford redundant due to rising costs, which include ongoing inflation and the economic instability in the UK.

‘As a purpose-led, employee-owned business, this decision has been a particularly difficult one to make, and one we have done everything we can to avoid.

‘Unfortunately, it is now a necessary one, given the increasing financial pressures that we, like many businesses, are experiencing.

‘We have turned over every stone to reduce our costs and remain profitable, without impacting our co-owners.

‘While we have made considerable progress, unfortunately, the savings we have achieved simply don’t go far enough to prevent us from also having to propose these redundancies.

‘This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, but the decisions we take today will ensure that Riverford remains a sustainable business for many years to come.

‘Supporting all co-owners affected throughout the consultation process is now our main priority.’

Riverford began in 1986 when Guy Singh-Watson started growing organic vegetables in a corner of his parents’ farm at Buckfastleigh.

He delivered them to around 30 local homes in what was one of the first veg box schemes. Riverford has grown into a large business founded on environmental and ethical values.

It pioneered home delivery of veg boxes and now sends out around 70,000 a week across England.

Riverford still runs Mr Singh-Watson’s original family farm at Buckfastleigh where it also has a restaurant called the Riverford Field Kitchen.

Guy’s passion for ethical business led to him handing over the reins of Riverford to its staff and the company became employee-owned in June 2018. Since then, Riverford has been Certified B Corp, become a Real Living Wage employer, and been named a Top 100 Employer.

Guy has twice been named the BBC Radio 4 Farmer of the Year, and is passionate about sharing his knowledge of organic farming gained over three decades.