MARKETS PROFILE: Luke Kohler, managing director, Sydney Direct Fresh Produce, Sydney Markets

Sydney Direct Fresh Produce (SDFP) is a family owned and run business with close to 40 years combined experience in the Sydney Markets.

We are close to being the third biggest providore in Sydney and we are committed to providing the highest quality produce to our customers on time and in the best condition.

We have about 35 full-time staff and around 10 part-time, including my brother and sister who both work in the business.

How long has the business been operating?

I started the business 16 years ago supplying to local kebab shops out of the family fruit and vegetable business in Penrith.

The business has grown from there.

What do you specialise in?

Quality, we specialise in supply quality fruit and veg.

What sets you apart from other providores?

We are committed to changing with the times and use a lot of social media and other avenues to communicate better with our customers.

It’s really important to keep our chefs up to date with new lines of produce, what’s in season and what’s out of season.

Where do you source your produce from?

Ninety per cent of our produce is sourced from the market and about 10pc from small producers.

Who are your customers?

Supplying quality produce is our priority and one of the main reasons our customers do business with us.

Our biggest customer is the Solotel Group, which operates a portfolio of around 30 bars, pubs, bistros and restaurants.

We also supply restaurants, hotels, clubs, pubs, cafes and some nursing homes in the Sydney Metro, Blue Mountains, Newcastle and Illawarra regions. 

How did you get into the fruit and veg business?

I started working in our family fruit and vegetable shop when I was 16 and started taking orders from local kebab and takeaway shops.

We got better at what we did, and learnt from one year to the next and the wholesale business grew.

We moved out of retail and into providoring, and were really lucky that the hospitality industry grew in Sydney alongside us and continues to do so.

Sydneysiders eat out more than ever before which means that there is more need for our services.

What has changed in the industry over the years?

There are a lot less smaller growers represented at the market and a lot more large growers focusing on chain-store orders.

There is also a lot more imported produce sold through the market than when I started out here.

What is the best thing about working at the market?

I love working at the market because of the relationships that I have built over the years and the diversity of the people out here.

What is most challenging about the industry?

The most challenging thing is the early morning starts and the fact that you are dealing with products that are 100pc perishable so you have to be on the ball at all times.

From the second you buy a product it is dying so you have to get it to the customer while it is still in peak condition or you lose money.

What have been some of the highlights in your business?

The friendships and relationships that I have built along the way would have to be one of my biggest highlights. Some of my best friends now are my employees.

What is the key to running a successful business?

I would have to say never get lazy.

What message would you give Australian consumers?

You need to buy from small independent business who in turn support the smaller growers and keep things creative and interesting. If you only support the big chain stores we will only be able to buy what they want us to buy.

How can we encourage young people into the industry?

Later starting times would certainly appeal to a lot more young people, and encourage them into the industry.

What do you think the future holds for the industry?

My part of the industry is certainly a growth area as increasingly more people choose to eat out more, supporting growth in the hospitality sector which in turn means more potential customers for us.

In respect to independent retailers and smaller growers we need to protect their future to keep diversity in the industry.