Dear Customer,
For some time now we at Fresh Direct have had the privilege of supplying several of the most prestigious stores in London with a selection of produce from our “Gourmet” range. Over the period frequent visits have familiarised me with their premises to the extent that I am almost in my comfort zone there, exchanging cordial first-name-term greetings with staff working around the tradesman’s entrances and navigating the labyrinthine behind-the-scenes corridors with practised ease. Notwithstanding this, the inner sanctum of the shop floor of any world-famous London store still retains the power to rock me back on my heels when I get a whiff of the stupendous affluence of some of its clientele.
On a recent visit to one such celebrated store in the company of our C.E.O., Nigel Harris, we passed through the food hall where a clutch of Premier League footballers from a famous London club were perusing the goods on offer (they must love our stuff – when they aren’t eating it at the most exclusive restaurant back at their stadium they are out buying it for their own kitchens) – impressive enough, we all know how much those guys earn! But no, it was a solitary gentleman nearby that caught my attention. The tanned complexion, impeccable grooming and perfectly-tailored suit all argued considerable wealth. No doubt the footballers had arrived in a chauffeur-driven limo to save them the trouble of trying to shoehorn their Lambo’s and Ferraris into the few parking spaces Kensington has to offer, but it was also certain that this man hadn’t turned up in a second-hand Fiesta. Above all, I was transfixed by his watch.
I have a passionate interest in quality timepieces, and now I was looking at a work of art. Beautiful yet unostentatious, even understated, it would probably have gone unnoticed by many, yet the superb grandes complications displayed on its dial told me I was looking at a rare example of Swiss craftsmanship, the sort of piece that famous makers such as Blancpain, Breguet or Vacheron Constantin might produce singly. The case really was made of pink gold, and the strap was almost certainly pure platinum. With a flush of envy I realised that this solitary accessory was probably worth more than all of my combined assets… my house… my car… my savings…
How strange then that later, having left London behind, I was overtaken with a strong sense of well-being. Maybe it was the sweet Spring sunlight playing on the dappled fields as we sped by, with the sense of Summer to come… but I kept thinking about that watch.
The naked jealousy I had first felt had been replaced by inspiration! Perhaps we are in a recession, and sure, some people are hurting right now, but as long as there are million-pound watches out there we will always have hope! We’re not in a hole – it’s just a divot! The world will keep turning and we will all come out the other side. Aren’t many of our country accounts already reporting record bookings for the coming season? It’s funny how we can be inspired and motivated in the most unexpected ways!
The lengthening days giving rise to sunny evenings, with rising temperatures giving hope of even better times ahead... this tough epoch will pass as surely as did the Winter. Enjoy every glorious day and keep the faith!
Kind regards,
David Burns, Managing Director.