Two UK-based vertical farming companies have seen their product lines reach new customer bases this month. GrowUp Farms has done an ‘Unbeleafable’ deal with leading UK supermarket Tesco, whilst Fischer Farms will be supplying produce to the foodservice sector.
GrowUp Farms & Tesco
GrowUp Farms sees its Unbeleafable® ready-to-eat salads go on sale in selected Tesco stores from today (26th July 2023). The Unbeleafable range of salads is grown at GrowUp Farms’ vertical farm, Pepperness, in Kent.
Kate Hofman, Founder of GrowUp Farms, who was the only vertical farming industry representative to attend Rishi Sunak’s Farm to Fork Summit earlier this year, says: “At GrowUp Farms, we’ve been growing unbelievably good leaves for over a decade. At Pepperness, our latest farm, we’re producing ready-to-eat salads for major UK supermarkets, demonstrating the commercial viability of vertical farming and its role in sustainable UK food production.
“Unbeleafable and its longer-lasting leaves are here to shake up the bagged salad category. We’re thrilled to be working with Tesco to get salads from our vertical farm onto the plates of more British consumers. It is great that Tesco is backing our sustainable approach to farming to make the UK more self-sufficient and to build a more resilient food and farming system” added Hofman.
Alex Edwards, Category Buying Manager for Horticulture and Prepared Produce for Tesco said: “…we are very excited to be offering Tesco shoppers Unbeleafable, an innovative new range of branded bagged salads that stays fresh for longer and is grown sustainably, which is something we know our customers are increasingly passionate about.”
Unbeleafable salads retail at £1.50 for a 90g bag.
There are three salads in the range at Tesco. These are:
- crisp green leaves – a sweet salad, containing a mix of green baby lettuce and frilly green baby lettuce (RRP £1.50).
- mixed baby leaves – a mild salad, containing a mix of green baby lettuce and red baby lettuce (RRP £1.50).
- rocket & baby leaves – a stronger flavour, containing a mix of green baby lettuce, red baby lettuce and rocket (RRP £1. 50).
Fischer Farms & Fresh Direct
Fischer Farms will be supplying produce such as watercress and basil from its vertical farm in Norwich to foodservice specialists Fresh Direct. This will see Fischer Farms produce available in various sectors from casual dining, pubs and restaurants through to healthcare, education and quick service restaurants.
Highlighting the benefits of fresh locally grown produce for chefs, Fresh Direct, trading manager, Tom Bartlett said: “The partnership with Fischer Farms will lead the way in the foodservice industry. It will help to deliver year-round quality and consistency. And, importantly for chefs, the product will be high quality and look and taste fresher as it will not have to stand up to the rigours of a very difficult supply chain.”
