GJ Growers Ltd

GJ Growers Ltd is the Channel Islands' largest commercial conventional pepper and long sweet pepper grower, run by father and son team Graham and Mark Le Lay, situated on the north west corner of Jersey.

The family business was set up in 1993 and today exports 85 per cent of its produce to Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in the United Kingdom. More than 50,000 pepper plants are grown, which produce nearly 50 tons of peppers per month for export and 8 tons for the market in Jersey.

The business has invested in some of the most modern and sophisticated greenhouses in the Island and use the latest environmental control systems for heating, ventilation, shading, humidity, carbon dioxide enrichment and irrigation. Bees are used to naturally pollinate the plants and pests are controlled using biological solutions so that there is no need to use chemical pesticides. The growing and subsequent packing of the crop follows very strict guidelines to comply with regulations required by UK supermarkets.

In addition to the 14,000 sq metres of modern greenhouse the site also includes a high-tech packing facility using the latest equipment to measure the size and weight of the peppers. The pepper season runs from late February to mid November.

The full range of capsicum products includes green, red, yellow and orange peppers and also the increasingly popular long sweet red yellow and orange peppers. In addition GJ Growers Ltd has developed a flourishing chili business which supplies many of the Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants on the Island with 18 different varieties of chilis which are all shapes, sizes, colours and strengths. Over the latter years they have developed a successful range of 4 types of specialty Thai eggplant, conventional aubergines and more recently okra.

The nursery employs one manager, five full-time staff and two seasonal staff.  It currently has full accreditation with:

Assured Produce Scheme

Global Standard – BRC

LEAF

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