by Becky Hawes | Dec 5, 2023 | News
The opportunity to be associated with the best of Kent’s food and drink industry is now open to business and organisations from across Kent. Planning for the Taste of Kent Awards (TOKA 2024) is well underway, with eight sponsors already sponsoring next years awards.
The prestigious companies who have pledged their support for the annual awards are the University of Kent who are once again providing the venue for the awards ceremony and food festival, head sponsor Southeastern, judging location sponsor Jestic Food Service, and category sponsors Shepherd Neame, EKC Group, Southern Co-op, Oxbury and GrowUp Farms. Just a handful of category sponsorships are available and Produced in Kent are encouraging potential businesses to come
forward.
Produced in Kent manage and organise TOKA, which have been a key feature in the awards calendar for almost two decades. CEO Floortje Hoette explains, “Over 19 years the awards have become a fantastic platform to showcase the tastiest food and drink we produce here in Kent, and the hardworking businesses behind it. Sponsoring the awards is a great opportunity for companies to get involved with the local food and drink community, whilst associating with the very finest produce, and showing support for a sector that contributes so much to our local economy, employment, the countryside and a greener future. I thank all returning and new sponsors for their continuing support.”
Nikki Causer Head of Marketing at Southeastern said: ‘We are delighted to sponsor the awards for the 4th year running, their support for the many wonderful local food and drink producers around the county is something that is close to our hearts. It’s important to Southeastern to support local economies, encouraging our customers to travel sustainably by train around Kent and discover, taste and buy the huge variety of delicious food and drink.’
Tim Burrows, Operations Manager – Catering, University of Kent said: We are delighted to be the venue sponsor of the Taste of Kent Awards 2024, and to welcome attendees to the most prestigious food and drink awards in the South East.
At Kent we stand for ambition and we cannot wait to celebrate the ambition of all the nominees at this year’s awards. The Gulbenkian Arts Centre provides the perfect innovative and engaging location to showcase not only the talent of those nominated, but also our own Kentish delights inspired by the Garden of England.
Open to any food and drink business located in Kent and Medway, the awards have been running for nearly twenty years – making them the longest running, and most prestigious food and drink awards in the South East. Entrants do not have to be members of Produced in Kent, nominations are open to all and the judges include industry experts such as Nigel Barden and Michael Eyre from Jestic Foodservice Solutions. This year, the awards continue with their new format. All awards categories are self-nominated (entries open in January 2024).
The culmination is a full day of celebrations on the 13th June, starting with the TOKA Food & Drink Festival, a chance for the public to come and sample and purchase finalists products. The awards are announced in the evening at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre with plenty of networking opportunities. Throughout the awards process there is ample opportunity for sponsors to engage with food and drink businesses and with key stakeholders in the sector.
If you’d like to find out more about sponsorship, please get in touch with Floortje Hoette for opportunities to become involved E: floortje.hoette@producedinkent.co.uk. For more information: https://tasteofkentawards.co.uk
by Becky Hawes | Dec 1, 2023 | News
LONDON – Kate Hofman, founder of the pioneering GrowUp Farms, the first vertical farm to have a branded bagged salad in major UK supermarkets (Tesco and Iceland), has won two major awards at the prestigious 2023 Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
The awards scooped by the food and social impact entrepreneur were the Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year and the Equity-backed Entrepreneur of the year.
Now in its 11th year, and previously described as “The Grammys for Entrepreneurship”, The Great British Entrepreneur Award (GBEA) winners were named on November 20th at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House, and recognise exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, dedication, and remarkable achievement within their industry. They celebrate the outstanding individuals and businesses that drive innovation, generate employment opportunities, and contribute to the growth of the UK economy.
In the past 10 years, the pioneering founder of GrowUp Farms, Kate Hofman, has taken the concept of vertical farming from a small urban farm in London, to a huge vertical farm in Kent. This farm, which is backed by £100 million investment, was the first vertical farm to sell a branded bagged salad in major UK supermarkets, with the launch earlier this year of their two award-winning salads: Unbeleafable, which is in Tesco stores nationwide, and Fresh Leaf Co., which is in Iceland and Food Warehouse stores.
GrowUp Farms is also unique among UK vertical farms because it uses on-site renewable heat and power and can therefore grow food with a lighter environmental footprint.
The growth and success of GrowUp Farms has taken place in a decade of increasing concern about UK food production. The UK relies on importing 67% of the salad we eat each year, and over 90% in the winter. This year saw a 40-year low in domestic salad production – due mainly to soaring energy costs – and that, coupled with the UK’s over-reliance on other countries for its salad vegetables supplies, led to high-profile shortages in UK supermarkets.
“I am very proud to have won these two awards at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and am accepting them on behalf of the wider team at GrowUp Farms, which has spent 10 years developing the technology and expertise to get to this point: growing salad leaves in the UK year-round commercially” said Hofman.
“Winning awards is hugely gratifying because it allows us to sit back for a moment and appreciate how much we have achieved – and what all the hard work has been for. Our salads are also winning product awards – which is fantastic! This recognition by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards is incredibly encouraging and motivating for us all and gives us the impetus to keep striving.
“Our R&D team is already solving some of the challenges that will allow us to grow other crops such as identifying heritage seed varieties that can’t be grown conventionally and improving the growth cycle of certain plants. Vertical farming is very much a long-term solution to the problems we are seeing.”
The GBEA judges said: “GrowUp Farms has a remarkable story showcasing an incredible female entrepreneur, Kate Hofman, with a clear vision and a well thought out plan for the future. The business itself is truly terrific, reflecting remarkable determination and skill, leading to significant investment and growth.
“GrowUp Farms is an inspiring story of innovation in sustainable farming. The judges commended the fantastic idea and remarkable business growth, noting that vertical farming represents the future of agriculture, allowing for a reduction in land usage while contributing to the development of biodiversity.”
For more information about the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, please visit www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.
To learn more about GrowUp Farms, visit https://growupfarms.co.uk
by Becky Hawes | Nov 13, 2023 | News
GrowUp Farms, a pioneering vertical farm, has won two accolades at The Grocer’s New Product and Packaging Awards 2023. GrowUp Farms’ Unbeleafable rocket and baby leaves scooped the Champion of the Deli award at The Grocer’s prestigious event this week.
The rocket and baby leaves are part of the first-ever salad range produced by a vertical farm to be sold in a major supermarket. Alongside rocket and baby leaves, the range includes crisp green leaves and mixed baby leaves, all available in selected Tesco stores across the UK.
The panel of judges from The Grocer’s awards praised the concept of Unbeleafable – a longer-life, ready-to-eat, bagged salad that’s grown all year round in the UK. They applauded GrowUp Farms for their ambition to reduce the UK’s reliance on salad imports. The judges also appreciated the story, design, and personality of this “fab innovation” and noted that the inclusion of rocket gave the salad a great peppery kick and “flavour hit.”
GrowUp Farms’ second salad brand, Fresh Leaf Co. red + green baby leaf salad, which is available to buy in selected Iceland stores, won the Silver Award in the Deli Category.
Both salads are grown without using pesticides and are not chlorine-washed, unlike other bagged salads. These processes help preserve the quality of the leaves, making them tastier, crisper, and fresher for longer. As a result, Unbeleafable salad is less likely to be thrown away, helping to cut down on food waste linked to bagged salads.
The salads are also longer-lasting as they are grown and packed in Kent, shortening the supply chain, and are grown using 94% less water than bagged salads produced from a field or greenhouse.
Reflecting on GrowUp Farms’ success at The Grocer’s awards, Kate Hofman, founder of GrowUp Farms, said: “It has been a fantastic year for the team at GrowUp Farms with the launch of Unbeleafable, the first salad range to be grown commercially in a vertical farm and stocked by a major supermarket like Tesco. Also, getting Fresh Leaf Co. on the shelves in Iceland has been a great coup too.
“The Grocer’s New Product and Packaging Awards are the most respected awards in the food and drink industry, and all of the brands want to get their hands on a New Product gong – and we have two! It’s also a real boost to see that the judges were unanimously impressed by our ambition to play a role in reducing the UK’s reliance on salad imports. What a way to end the year.”
The Grocer editor-in-chief and event host, Adam Leyland, said: “Innovation is alive and well. There is some fantastic innovation in grocery FMCG, and it makes me feel excited about the future.
“These awards are an incredibly important reminder to retailers – and shoppers – of the fantastic innovation in which brands big and small are engaged: enriching the lives of customers, who look to brands, as much as they do to the supermarkets, to innovate and excite them, while providing much-needed revenue, differentiation, and quality to the grocers.”
Unbeleafable rocket and baby leaves are part of the Unbeleafable salad (90g) range, which includes crisp green leaves and mixed baby leaves. All three products retail at £1.50 and are available at Tesco stores.
Unbeleafable rocket and baby leaves is part of the Unbeleafable salad (90g) range, which includes crisp green leaves and mixed baby leaves. All three products retail at £1.50 and are available at Tesco stores.
Fresh Leaf Co. red + green baby leaf salad (70g) retails at £1 and is available at selected Iceland and Food Warehouse stores.
Unbeleafable
Instagram – @Unbeleafableuk
TikTok – @Unbeleafableuk
Facebook – @Unbeleafableuk
X (formerly Twitter) – @Unbeleafableuk
www.unbeleafable.co.uk
Fresh Leaf Co.
Facebook – @freshleafcouk
Instagram – @freshleafcouk
www.freshleafco.co.uk
by Becky Hawes | Oct 9, 2023 | News
Pioneering vertical farm, GrowUp Farms, has won the Climate Award (a Sustainability Excellence Award) in this year’s Fresh Produce Consortium Fresh Awards. The Fresh Produce Consortium Fresh Awards features a range of categories that recognise and celebrate all aspects of fresh produce, honouring the industry’s best.
GrowUp Farms, which is the first vertical farm to launch branded salads into major UK supermarket groups and has the Unbeleafable salad range in Tesco stores nationwide, was announced as a winner in a glittering awards ceremony in London on 29 September.
GrowUp Farms was one of 14 contenders for the three awards up for grabs in the Sustainability Excellence category. The Climate Award is presented to a business that is “driven to preserve, protect and enhance our living environment, halting or reversing land degradation, understanding ecosystem services or adopting water optimisation techniques”.
The judges said: “The GrowUp Team has worked ambitiously over the last 10 years; making great progress to produce quality food without harming the environment.”
Kate Hofman, who co-founded GrowUp Farms ten years ago, said: “We are over the moon to win the Climate Award in these prestigious awards, and this win reflects the hard work, passion and dedication of the entire GrowUp Farms team, both at Peppernessin Kent and also at our R&D facility, the Leaf Lab in Cambridge.
“At Pepperness, we’re growing salad that stays fresher for longer, helping shoppers cut down on food waste and save money. Pepperness, our state-of-the-art controlled environment farm in Kent represents a significant shift for the UK salad supply chain – at full capacity, a bag of ready-to-eat salad from Pepperness has 93% fewer embodied carbon emissions than the average bagged salad that you’d buy in the shops today.
“We are a certified B-Corp, and we are now focusing on reducing GHG emissions elsewhere in our operations and supply chain by optimising our production and improving our packaging.”
This is the first major award won by the company, which is up for a total of 9 other awards to be announced between now and the end of the year.
by Becky Hawes | Sep 22, 2023 | News
Members of the Lords Horticultural Sector Committee visited pioneering Kent-based vertical farm, GrowUp Farms, in Sandwich this week to find out about how vertical farming’s future will play a key role in farming.
Lord Carter, Lord Colgrain, Lord Coles, Baroness Fookes, Lord Redesdale and Baroness Walmsley visited the farm – called Pepperness – which is leading the charge in vertical farms in the UK as it was the first to sell its salad ranges through UK supermarkets.
The House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee was created in April this year to produce a report on the horticultural industry. A 12-strong committee from all parties including crossbenchers is considering the challenges faced by the sector, which is worth billions to the UK economy and is a significant contributor to UK food security.
GrowUp Farms is the UK’s leading vertical farm, and launched its Unbeleafable salad range in Tesco stores in July this year.
A vertical farm is an innovative agricultural system, designed to grow crops in vertically stacked layers in a controlled indoor environment. The growing process means that salad can be grown year-round in the UK and uses up to 94% less water than traditional growing.
Pepperness grows the salad without the need to use pesticides of any kind, nor does it need chlorine-washing, in fact the salad doesn’t need to be washed at all before eating – all processes which degrade the quality of the leaves. The supply chain is significantly reduced, so the salad only travels from Kent to UK supermarkets, rather than from overseas. It tastes fresher and crisper and lasts longer than other salads, which means there’s less waste produced too.
“We’re very proud of what we are achieving here at Pepperness, and the part we’re playing in the future of food security for the UK” said Kate Hofman, founder and Chief Brand Officer of GrowUp Farms. “Currently the UK imports around 67% of its salad from warmer climates, and this rises to 90% in the winter*, so vertical farms can help the UK to be more self-sufficient in producing food.”
“We were delighted to welcome the House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee to Pepperness, and we very much support the inquiry into the considerable challenges facing this sector, not least the effects of climate change.
“We grow, harvest, and pack our salads for supermarkets across the UK, all at Pepperness in Kent. The farm’s highly controlled environment simulates a beautiful Mediterranean spring day, every day, providing the perfect growing conditions for salad.”
Lord Redesdale, Chair of the Committee, said: “Horticulture is worth billions to the UK economy. From healthy fruit and vegetables to the multitude of crop and plant varieties that can be grown in the UK, it is a fundamental component of a secure food supply, supports the wellbeing of millions of people, and could provide innovative solutions to the challenges presented by climate change. Despite this, horticulture has been continually overlooked and undervalued.
“As part of our inquiry, we were delighted to visit Pepperness and see how GrowUp Farms is putting real innovation into practice to build resilience into the UK horticulture sector.”
Pepperness was originally a brownfield site. Following £100m investment, GrowUp Farms is building the equivalent of 1000 acres of Grade 1 farmland on the site and has recently got the green light to further expand the farm, which will increase its output by 40%.
GrowUp Farms was the first vertical farm to sell a salad in a UK supermarket when it launched its first salad brand, Fresh Lead Co. into Iceland in February 2023. It is also the first to sell a vertical farm produced salad range in Tesco, with the launch of Unbeleafable in July.
Kate Hofman does have a wider message for the Government: “Although we are already producing food and selling it through the UK’s biggest supermarket, we are at a disadvantage compared to traditional growers when it comes to access to incentives. Vertical farms are treated as emerging technology which means we cannot benefit from the ‘Sustainable Farming Incentive’ in Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), which traditional farmers receive to improve their practices.
“If vertical farming continues to be treated as an emerging technology, the government is missing an opportunity to grow the industry, create a sustainable supply chain and deliver the outcomes laid out in the government’s Environment Plan. The extension of ELMS to include vertical farming would create a level playing field for more farming techniques that produce high-quality food and take care of the environment.”
*British Retail Consortium
