About Us
The Balmoral Story
BALMORAL Fruit Supply in Woodstock, is a third generation family-owned fruit, vegetable and grocery store. Our customers are still regarded as people as opposed to consumers. They are known by their names and often recognised by their favourite purchases, because so many are long-time, loyal clients.
Balmoral shoppers love: the friendly family atmosphere; the fact they are served by the owners of the business who have a love for good food; the sense of relaxed familiarity in the store; the personal relationships developed with the Adam family, from founding father to son and grandchildren; and the fact that their preferences are known from fruit and vegetables to delicatessen, spices and freshly baked breads, rolls and pastries.
Shopping at Balmoral gives customers the reassurance of knowing that the importance of community, neighbours, family, history and traditional customs, foods and values remains intact.
Balmoral has changed much since Vallie and Ayesha Adam first opened its doors in 1954 for trading as a little fruit and vegetable shop in Woodstock with the family home adjacent to the store.
Ayesha’s father invested in his daughter and son in-law’s future by sponsoring the launch of the store. Vallie had migrated for Johannesburg to Cape Town and was working as a shelf packer in a store on the Grand Parade.
Balmoral Fruit Supply survived through the bad times of apartheid and the Group Areas Act standing fast and firm on its Woodstock corner shooting out deep roots to flourish and produce the abundant fruit of honest labour in the good times of the birth and growth of the rainbow nation.
Today, the Adam family own the entire block and Balmoral’s operations in Main Road Woodstock occupy all but one of the premises on the block having expanded to include general groceries a deli, a bakery, and a cold storage area where back-up stock is stored.
The Adam brothers have also expanded Balmoral’s business to include a wholesale division that supplies super- markets and restaurants, and a ship’s chandler department. The expansion of the business has been organic and came about as a result of demand by customers who desire to benefit from the Adam family’s expertise in locating and buying the best quality, freshest produce available.