The Times recently spoke to our CEO, Mike Hedges, about the future of vertical farming and how GrowUp Farms is scaling up to meet Britain’s demand for sustainable, locally grown food.
Mike, who joined as CEO in November 2024, has already overseen a 50% increase in production. Drawing on his experience leading high-growth food brands like Little Moons, Proper Snacks, and Tyrrells, he’s helping guide GrowUp Farms through its next stage of growth.
His philosophy is simple: focus on doing one thing exceptionally well.
“We’ve been able to do a brilliant job of just growing lettuce. You see so many others who failed have diversified into trying to grow different types of crops. What we’ve done is just concentrate on being the best at what we do.”
Founded in 2013 by Kate Hofman and Tom Webster, GrowUp Farms began in a converted shipping container supplying Borough Market. Over the past decade, the company has raised £100 million in investment, including £38 million from sustainable infrastructure investor Generate Capital in 2024.
With UK salad harvests under pressure from changing weather patterns, Mike believes vertical farming is reaching an inflection point:
“Retailers need resilience in their supply chain. They need to increase their sustainability agenda. And vertical farming will be a cornerstone of supermarket supply chains.”