Sudbury greengrocer Cox's Boxes on impact of Spanish floods

Charlie Cox, director of Cox's Boxes, a family-run greengrocer which has been operating in Suffolk for 30 years, says the floods are having an "instant effect" on the supply chain and believes it could lead to a "drastic" situation in the weeks before Christmas as demand for fruit and vegetables rises.

He said Spanish strawberries were due to come into season now but, because of the floods, none were available pushing the price of 200g of Dutch strawberries up from £2.50 to £6.50.

The price of easy peel oranges, large juicing and eating oranges and leaf clementines were also "sky rocketing" due to unavailability, he said.

And Mr Cox fears the price of tomatoes and cucumber will also be affected due to a shortage of availability.

Parts of Valencia were hit with a year's worth of rain in just eight hours at the end of October, with more than 200 people known to have died. 

The impact of the floods has had huge ramifications across the country and Europe, with much of the region's fruit and vegetable output wiped out.

The team at Cox's Boxes, which operates predominantly in the Sudbury area (Image: Cox's Boxes) Mr Cox, whose company operates in the Sudbury area and predominantly delivers to pubs, restaurants and other businesses, said: "It is going to be a massive crisis. 

"People see the news but they do not take much notice of it. It will be things that people take for granted." 

Citrus fruits are among the worst produce to be hampered by the flooding. Mr Cox says the supply of satsumas is "non-existent". 

Mr Cox purchases produce from New Covent Garden three to five nights per week, and also buys from local farms. 

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Charlie Cox, of Cox's Boxes (Image: Cox's Boxes) Mr Cox, whose firm also runs a stall at Sudbury market, added there may be a gap in the supply chain and that prices are likely to rise, although it may not be noticed in the supermarkets for a few weeks.

He added: "It will be quite drastic I think as we go into the Christmas period.

"The demand is going to be so high."

On social media, the firm said it is working with suppliers to minimise disruption.

"This situation is already affecting availability and prices on some items, and we expect a larger impact on a wide range of produce in the coming months," a statement said. 

"While we’re committed to maintaining the quality and selection you’re used to, you may see some changes in availability and prices on certain products."

Mr Cox continued: "The situation and weather in Spain and the shortages should highlight the importance of backing British farmers and produce."

According to statistics from the Department for Business and Trade, fruit and vegetables accounted for £2.4billion worth of imports in the four quarters to the end of Q2 in 2024. It was the second most valuable import into the country from Spain during that time, behind cars.

Mick Catchpole runs Catchey's Fruit & Veg. (Image: Paul Geater) Mark Catchpole, who runs Catchey's Fruit and Veg on Ipswich Market, believes it may still take time for the full situation to be established. 

The trader said while grapes were "expensive", most things seem to be "alright".

"I was quite alright," he said. "We have just got to wait and find out."