A Visit to Worldwide Fruit: Excellence in Action
Located in Spalding, Lincolnshire, Worldwide Fruit is a major player in the UK fresh produce industry. The company packages apples, pears, avocados, and stone fruit for major UK supermarkets.
On the latest visit hosted as part of the Onsite Insights visit program, visitors were able to ee first hand a world-class manufacturing facility, digital innovation, and a people-centric culture.
A Model of Enterprise Excellence
Worldwide Fruit has been on their journey towards Enterprise Excellence since 2011. They have deployed the S A Partners Enterprise Excellence Model, which focuses on Purpose, Process, and People to support them in their goal. This framework has helped the company align its strategic goals with frontline activity, embedding a culture of improvement and high performance throughout the business. The organisation’s purpose is to be the ‘customers first choice’ and this is reflected in its sustainable practices and customer commitment, while processes have been optimised through Lean thinking to reduce waste and enhance efficiency. But perhaps the most important factor is people — with staff engagement, development, and empowerment at the centre of everything they do.
Innovation and Improvement in Action
An exciting insight during the visit was the use of AI technology in the manufacturing process where the company is trialling software that can predict quality and sort fruit varieties. These innovations have transformed how the product is managed and packed. Through smart data analysis and real-time monitoring, the business can make better-informed decisions — ensuring more fruit makes it to customers and less is wasted. In the packhouse, new systems for sorting and classifying produce have further enhanced product utilisation, driving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Steal with Pride
The visit to Worldwide Fruit was organised through the Onsite Insights programme — a long-running initiative founded in the 1980s by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and now delivered by S A Partners. The programme’s mission is to give UK organisations the opportunity to “Go See What Good Looks Like”, and Worldwide Fruit is a perfect example. Twelve attendees took part in the visit, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The group awarded a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +92, a clear indicator of the visit’s value and impact. Visitors were particularly impressed by the openness and operational discipline on display.
“Very impressive – an open and transparent team.”
“Great experience seeing CI in action.”
“Very insightful visit – it was inspiring to see the culture that has been built and embedded through all levels of the business.”
“Fantastic to see and feel such a positive culture, strong leadership and accountability.”
Visual Management, Culture, and Leadership
Tour highlights included the sites visual management boards which make real-time performance visible and actionable at every level. The meeting audits and the team’s proactive focus on hot spots — high-priority areas for attention — stood out as particularly effective tools in driving accountability and engagement. What truly resonated with visitors, however, was the atmosphere: a palpable sense of positive culture, leadership, and empowerment. From the shop floor to the leadership team, the commitment to improvement and mutual respect was evident.
Worldwide Fruit is a superb example of what happens when clear leadership and a sense of purpose combines with effective processes, and an empowered workforce. The company’s journey demonstrates the power of aligning strategy with people-led improvement. With thanks to the excellent team at Worldwide Fruit for another fantastic visit.
Our next visit, for more information or to book CLICK HERE
About Onsite Insights
Established in 2004, the Onsite Insights visit program exists to encourage the sharing of innovation and best practice between companies. This is achieved through a series of one day visits to award winning companies where visitors get to see best practice in action. No theory, no text book, just what works and why from organizations that have achieved success.
For More Information contact:
Jim Brydon
Programme Manager
Onsite Insights
Jim.Brydon@sapartners.com