"In the last couple of years, we have proved that our energy-efficient system works. We're dedicated to producing tasty salad leaves, under our brands Unbeleafable and Fresh Leaf Co. Our leaves are long-lasting and are what the consumer wants; UK-grown salads," says Marcus Whately, CEO of GrowUp commenting on the £38M funding the vertical farm has secured this week to meet increasing demand for its ready-to-eat salads.
Marcus Whately
Having launched into major retailers, including Tesco, Iceland and SPAR, sales have been growing and "now we have to build and scale up the business." GrowUp will be expanding its Kent facility to accelerate its leadership of the UK's salad industry. On top of that, investments will be injected into the company's R&D site in Cambridge "where the magic is done".
Onwards, Marcus says "Giving consumers what they want alongside innovation so we can continuously improve our products will be our main priorities. There's a huge potential for vertical farming and what we can produce." Yet, GrowUp first wants to focus on things where it can truly make a difference, solving the issue of the UK relying heavily on the import of fresh produce and providing a sustainable alternative that is more resilient. "It's not just about what we can do, but how we can do it better."
As GrowUp is seeing consumer demand for its salad brands soar, the company aims to keep fulfilling the needs of UK shoppers as it grows. "There will be lots of innovation around the growing capacity and our efforts to ensure we create a vertical farm that has less of an impact on the environment."
As with any disruptive technology, Marcus explains, there are loads of different approaches. "Our technology seems to be working and I'm very pleased. Disruptive technology is not just about one company, it's an industry-wide focus and it's great to see success across the board. But we know, at GrowUp, we have the right team to get things done. We believe wholeheartedly in our purpose, better food for all, which is all about growing food that tastes better, lasts longer and helps to reduce the environmental impact of getting healthy food onto people's plates."
For more information:
GrowUp
[email protected]
www.growupfarms.co.uk