iVillage speaks with Thoby Young, founder of the UK's first online organic box scheme, and finds out why we should be buying organic chicken every time

Thoby Young started the Fresh Food Company in 1989, when he noticed that the ultra-fresh fish he was selling to restaurants simply wasn't available to the ordinary punter. He filled the gap by transporting fresh fish straight from the Cornish quayside to front doors nationwide, and satisfied many customers hungry for quality wild, organic foods.

His success spurred him on to add fine, usually artisan-produced foods such as unpasteurised cheeses, good olive oil, and game. But one of his biggest sellers proved to be free-range poultry, and especially organic chickens.

Read on to find out why we should be eating organic birds.

Why do you think your organic chicken has become so popular?
I've always regarded the supermarket chicken as a pallid, pink lump of nameless protein. In fact, I hate it, and realised that people didn't have much of a choice. So in 1990 I began to research alternatives and found that there was nothing much available in the UK.

I did find a source of long-legged, free-range birds in Normandy, so started importing them. The taste was far better than anything you could buy in the supermarket - I even won some awards. Then, in 1991, I found a source of organic chickens in the UK. I switched to these and became the first person in the UK to send boxes of organic meat and poultry nationwide.

So what does 'organic' really mean to you?
When I say organic, I'm referring to ingredients that have been grown without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and other artificial treatments. I also guarantee that the land on which the food has been grown or raised has been free of those chemicals for at least three years.

Over the page: Why organic food tastes better

Interview with Thoby Young (continued)

Is this why is organic food tastes better?
What I like most about organic food is that what you see is what you get. You avoid that careless legacy of pollution and environmental degradation that conventional foods can create. Equally important is that fact that organic methods can lead to better flavour, texture and nutritional value compared to foods grown conventionally - and animal welfare standards are higher, too.

But the prices can often be high. What are the benefits to me as a customer?
Yes, you pay more for decent quality. But the impact of consuming organic foods can be dramatic - our customers have reported improved well-being, and even an end to migraines - other printed sources have suggested that men who eat natural foods have higher sperm counts - although we can't obviously promise anything!

For more information on Thoby's box schemes, visit www.freshfood.co.uk, email organics@freshfood.co.uk or telephone 0208 969 0351.

Try out Thoby's organic chicken ideas:

• Lemon Chicken
• Chicken Salad on Toast with Roasted Carrots
• Chicken Liver Paté
• Djej Matisha Mesla (Moroccan Chicken with Onions and Tomatoes

Do you insist on organic chicken? Tell us about it on the All About Food & Drink message board.