by Grow Up Farms Admin | Jul 29, 2024 | News
Just over two years on from its initial investment in GrowUp, leading sustainable infrastructure investment and operating company, Generate Capital, has shown its faith in our vision and purpose with a further investment of £38 million.
The new funding will help us to expand capacity at our Kent vertical farm, accelerate our leadership of the UK salad category, support the growth of our popular salad brands Unbeleafable and Fresh Leaf Co., drive R&D at the GrowUp Lab site in Cambridge, and increase our influence as a certified B Corp.
It also extends our existing partnership with Generate Capital following an initial financing in 2021 that enabled us as team to prove GrowUp’s energy-efficient growing system and start converting a five-acre brownfield site into the equivalent of 1,000 acres of grade 1 farmland in Kent.
And this cash injection back in 2021 helped us to achieve our vision of being the first vertical farm to supply branded, bagged salads to the country’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco, and to Iceland, SPAR, as well as other major food service customers.
Our CEO Marcus Whately has welcomed the latest round of funding from Generate Capital, a $10 billion sustainable infrastructure investor saying:
“We partnered with Generate Capital because, as a $10 billion sustainable infrastructure investor with a mission to ‘rebuild the world together’, Generate Capital aligns with our ethos. With Generate Capital’s support, we have proved that vertically farmed salads are sustainable, cost competitive, and commercially viable, as well as tasty, healthy and long lasting. Together we can unlock a new salad category and meet growing consumer demand.”
The future looks bright for GrowUp and our best-selling salad brands.
by Grow Up Farms Admin | May 20, 2024 | News
Another Win for Unbeleafable at the Sammies
GrowUp is celebrating another win, this time at the Sammies—the Oscars of the sandwich and food-to-go industry. Unbeleafable took home the New Product Award at the prestigious ceremony, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. Tom Robb, National Account Manager, and Lisa Harrison-Bell, Head of Marketing, were there to accept the award. Both were dressed to impress as they proudly represented the team.
Recognizing Innovation and Quality
The New Product Award celebrates development and innovation by suppliers, focusing on both ingredients and packaging. This win is a major boost for our incredible team, who have worked tirelessly to bring Unbeleafable to life. Since its launch in Tesco last summer, Unbeleafable has continued to impress.
A Fourth Award for Unbeleafable
This is the fourth award for Unbeleafable since its debut. Previously, the brand was named Champion in The Grocer’s New Product and Packaging Awards 2023, in the Deli category. It also won a silver award at the Quality Food Awards 2023. These accolades highlight the consistent quality and innovation behind the product.
More Recognition for Unbeleafable
Earlier this year, Unbeleafable rocket and baby leaves won Best Vegan Side at the Vegan Food and Living Product Awards 2024. These wins show the growing demand for high-quality, sustainable, and delicious products in the market.
Looking Ahead to More Success
With several more awards on the horizon, GrowUp is excited to continue its winning streak. This recognition at the Sammies is just the beginning. We look forward to even more successes and innovations from Unbeleafable in the future.
by Grow Up Farms Admin | May 20, 2024 | News
We are over the moon to share that GrowUp Farms has been recognised by the Sunday Times as being one of the best places to work in the UK for 2024, for the second year in a row!
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is like the ultimate validation for companies that know how to keep their employees happy and motivated leading to an Unbeleafably positive work environment.
The newspaper once again partnered with the career development platform, WorkL, to create a comprehensive employee survey to build an in-depth picture of employees’ engagement and wellbeing in the workplace. To make the cut, you’ve got to score at least 70% in overall engagement. And guess what? We smashed it!
We’re delighted to be in the top 200 medium-sized businesses in the UK to snag this honour. And with WorkL checking out 50,000 companies, it’s no mean feat.
Our aim at GrowUp Farms is to nurture, educate and develop our employees to be the best they can be, and to encourage their curiosity and their passion.
Our team is the heart and soul of our operation, and we’re committed to making sure they have the most inspiring, rewarding, and—let’s not forget—fun place to work! 🌟
by Aidan Wogan | Apr 29, 2024 | News
Our founder, Kate Hofman, recently joined the Institute of Imagination for an inspiring workshop where she introduced young minds to vertical farming and how GrowUp is using this innovative technique to reshape agriculture. Kate shared her passion for sustainable farming and explained how vertical farming is helping GrowUp address the challenges of food security, environmental sustainability, and climate change. Her lively discussion sparked curiosity and excitement among the attendees, encouraging them to think about how this method can impact the future of food production.
How Vertical Farming Is Revolutionizing Agriculture
During the session, Kate discussed how GrowUp uses vertical farming to grow fresh produce in controlled indoor environments using stacked layers. This method saves space, reduces the need for large amounts of water, and minimizes the environmental footprint of traditional farming. GrowUp’s approach to farming provides a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture, making it a powerful tool in addressing global food production challenges and the need for environmentally friendly practices.
Inspiring Young Minds to Explore Careers in Sustainability
Kate also took the opportunity to inspire the next generation of innovators by discussing the exciting career opportunities within GrowUp and the broader sustainability sector. She highlighted the growing demand for professionals in vertical farming and other green industries, encouraging young people to explore careers that can make a real impact on the planet. Through this innovative approach, young minds can help shape a sustainable future and contribute to solving major environmental issues.
The Future of Sustainable Agriculture with GrowUp
The workshop also showcased how GrowUp is leading the way in sustainable farming and how vertical farming is integral to a more sustainable food system. Kate emphasized how innovative farming methods, such as those used by GrowUp, are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of food production while increasing local food security. The students left the session inspired by the potential of vertical farming and eager to be part of the solution to the world’s biggest challenges.
by Aidan Wogan | Apr 25, 2024 | News
Kate Hofman, founder of GrowUp Farms, has been recognised in The Grocer’s prestigious list of top 10 women shaping the future of grocery technology. This honour acknowledges her pioneering work in sustainable farming and technology, with GrowUp using cutting-edge methods like vertical farming to address food security and climate change.
Reflecting on her place in this top 10 list, Kate said: “I’m both honoured and excited to be included – and also a good shake-up of my imposter syndrome because I don’t think of myself as a woman in tech!”
Kate went on to discuss her evolving role as a business leader and the responsibility she feels to inspire others, especially young women. “I am really starting to take my position as a role-model in business seriously – again, not easy with that imposter syndrome whispering in my ear. There is always more we can do to improve representation so that any young person with brilliant potential can look at people in positions of authority and power and think ‘that could be me one day!’”
According to Kantar research commissioned by HelloFresh that The Grocer’s featured in their focus on this top 10, 49% of young women in the HelloFresh survey said that seeing more women in leadership roles would encourage them to enter the sector, and they are inspiring others to join them. This is an encouraging trend for women aspiring to leadership roles in technology and innovation across various industries.
Kate Hofman is now rubbing shoulders with some of the most influential women in the grocery tech industry, including: Hannah Gibson, CEO of Ocado Retail; Rachel Higham, chief digital and technology officer at M&S; Suzy McClintock, grocery and retail VP at Deliveroo; Claire Pointon, MD of Just Eat UK; Clodagh Moriarty, chief retail and technology officer at Sainsbury’s; and many other incredible tech leaders.
by Aidan Wogan | Apr 25, 2024 | News
https://unbeleafable.co.uk
