Our Story
Wealmoor is a long established forward-thinking, family-owned business specialising in the growing, packing and marketing of subtropical fresh fruits and vegetables from all over the world. We’re also producers of homegrown seasonal vegetables and herbs.
What makes us special are the many partnerships we have built with producers both at home and abroad, enabling a reliable and innovative supply of high-volume, high-value produce week in and week out. With over 50 years experience, we’ve developed a unique infrastructure and a solid and dependable operation that manages complex integrated growing supply chains from seed to shelf. For everybody involved, this is something we are extremely proud of.
Our founders
It all started in the early 60’s when Rati & Vilas Dhanani ran a grocery store in Makuyu a village 45mins from Nairobi, Kenya. Amongst the items sold were potatoes and onions bought from local farmers.
Rati developed this into a thriving wholesale business that started to build strong ties with local growers to produce more and eventually on programmed basis. His involvement with encouraging local communities to start growing and receive regular incomes, promoting horticulture to lift local communities out of poverty, was something that was close to his and Vilas’ hearts.
Together with his business partner Shumbubhai Patel, and several other business leaders he was granted an audience with Jomo Kenyatta, the newly elected President for independent Kenya for their views to develop a broader vision for Kenyan agriculture. Kenya Horticultural Exporters (KHE) was formed to develop country wide growing through small scale farmers for Kenya to first become self-sufficient, and then to start regional exports. Rati then saw an opportunity for developing a product range for export markets further ashore. Today the Kenyan horticulture industry that Rati jointly was so instrumental in pioneering is valued at $1.2bn!
In 1973, Rati and Vilas established Wealmoor in England as a marketing arm for their Kenyan business. They introduced exotic fruits and vegetables to British buyers and the public. Under his continued leadership the business has grown, evolved and adapted embracing change and challenge alike, underpinned by the same passion for fresh produce that launched the business 50 years ago. Horticulture remained a passion for Rati throughout his professional and personal life. He will be remembered as more than a businessman by our employees, customers and grower partners worldwide many of whom have developed alongside Wealmoor for half a lifetime.
Wealmoor has always enjoyed a pioneering spirit. From enabling an emerging nation to become self sufficient in staple crops to developing transformational export opportunities, our co-founder Rati Dhanani was a man of vision. His achievements to mobilise rural communities in Kenya through agriculture continues to underpin Wealmoor’s unique purpose, mission and values. Indeed, our heritage is very much central to who we are and the way we do things.
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Horticulture remained a passion for Rati throughout his professional and personal life. Although now sadly departed, his boundless energy, enthusiasm and founder’s mentality lives on today and continues to be a key part of The Wealmoor Way.