About Us

The Crazy Jack Story...

Organic Food Crops When they started spraying the land, Jack said it would be dangerous and would lead to problems. "It’s progress", they said, "you’ve got to move with the times. You can’t put chemicals in the soil without suffering the consequences," Jack said. "You’re crazy", they told him. "I’d rather be crazy than poison our planet," Jack replied.

They didn’t listen then, but now more and more people are recognising the benefits of eating organic. As the interest and demand has grown, so has the quantity and range of organic products available.

Jack doesn’t cut corners in his desire to provide the best possible food at reasonable prices. He chooses his supplier partners carefully, and takes all appropriate quality control measures to ensure that the highest quality product available reaches the consumer. Jack works with people who have the skills, experience and commitment to ensure that only the best goes into his range.

Some people still think that Jack is crazy, but then they called Galileo crazy when he suggested that the earth revolved around the sun.

Crazy Jack has a wide range of top quality, pure organic dried fruits, nuts, pulses, seeds, rice and snacks to choose from. Our range reflects our years of experience in sourcing and encouraging the development of organic agriculture. We believe Crazy Jack represents the best organic quality you can buy. Some of our products are supplied through the Good Food Foundation and other similar projects that we have worked with for many years.

Our range includes many "firsts", including the first organic apricots in the UK (delicious, no sulphur!), our award winning organic marzipan, and the UK’s first Fairtrade Organic Himalayan Basmati Rice.

We are really proud of Crazy Jack Organic and of all that it represents for the suppliers and communities who work to supply us, and subsequently you.

What is Organic?

Organic agriculture is a system of working with nature to grow food using time-tested methods such as crop rotation and the use of animal manure, without using chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Organic agriculture is about an approach to life which is truly "wholesome", looking for long-term ecological sustainability in a balanced partnership with the living world.

Organic farming...

Helps reduce the use of oil-based fertilisers
Encourages biodiversity
Helps reduce the use of artificial pesticides

Behind the Brand

Let’s start at the beginning. Community Foods started life in 1971 as a commune of like-minded, free-thinking individuals serving the needs of an "alternative society". They considered themselves "Food Pioneers" and took an earthy, common-sense approach to food, its production and values, as Community Foods still do today. Crazy Jack Organic is the child of Community Foods, conceived in the 1980’s and born in the 1990’s.

Who is Crazy Jack?

In the 1970’s wholefoods were seen as a fad and "organic" was way over the horizon for most people. Community Foods (the clever traders behind Crazy Jack) sold "strange" foods that we know so well today, including chick peas, beans, lentils, natural dried apricots, brown rice and "macrobiotics". These alternative gurus were FOR fibre, FOR whole foods (e.g. brown rice) and FOR all things "natural". The same gurus were AGAINST food processing and AGAINST artificial additives, colours and preservatives. Last but not least, Community Foods actively opposed the new GM technologies in food production, unconvinced by the need for them and suspicious of the commercial interests behind them.

This approach inevitably drove Community Foods down the route of organic agriculture, a natural progression of the argument that food should be wholesome, and should not be grown in a manner that is damaging to the environment or potentially harmful to humans.

So, you see, the child that was Crazy Jack Organic was inevitable – a maverick born before his time, the child of the Community that bore him. Crazy Jack Organic was born, out of observation, enquiry, and a need.

Observation

Firstly, the observation that conventional farming practices have been responsible for appalling declines in wildlife and some major environmental problems, and are, we believe, increasingly linked to poor human health and nutrition.

Enquiry

Secondly to question the accepted wisdom of certain conventional farming practices, to become involved in and uncover the issues that are relevant to the sector, and not accept the status quo. In other words, it is necessary to challenge mainstream thinking and accepted conventions.

Need

Lastly we wanted to act on our findings – once we came to understand and challenge normal conventions, it was really important for us to do something about it. With the help and support of our strong customer base whom we have served over many years, we have been able to introduce new organic products into the market and to make a difference. Today Organic is seen increasingly as mainstream and we look forward to the day when the word "organic" is no longer a message to consumers, but is a normal convention that everyone expects of their food – for their own benefit, and that of future generations and the environment – for ever!

What gets us going?

All food should be trustworthy, valued and understood.
Sustainability is the core of our philosophy, and we have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of food production and environmental diversity for the next generation.
The earth is a wonderful place and there is only one earth. Work with, respect and try to understand the amazing complexity and bounty of the earth’s natural systems.
Don’t treat food as a "commodity" – it is essential to our wellbeing. Food, the environment and humans are inseparable and entwined; the health of one impacts the health of the others.
No matter how small our individual choices may seem to be, collectively each and every one makes a difference. Anyone who believes an individual choice is too small to make a difference has not tried sleeping in a room with a mosquito!
Education, information, knowledge and action are the key to securing a sustainable future.
For us, “Organic” is not a market opportunity, it is a necessity that safeguards food security and a responsibility we bear for future generations.