Clara Whitfield started Fresh Market & Co in the autumn of 2017 after eight years working in restaurant kitchens, the last four as a head chef at a small bistro in the city. She kept noticing the same problem: the produce arriving from the big distributors was fine, technically, but it had no character. Strawberries that smelled of nothing. Tomatoes that were red but not ripe. She started driving out to farms herself on days off, buying direct, and the difference was obvious the moment you cut into something. The shop came out of that frustration.