Our Story

In 2013, we started to get excited about the idea of combining new and existing technology to grow food that tasted better, lasted longer, and helped to reduce the environmental impact of getting healthy food onto people’s plates.

We’re unique because we’ve cracked the biggest challenge in vertical farming – energy. Our big breakthrough at GrowUp Farms is breaking the reliance on electricity. We use renewable heating and cooling for most of our energy requirements, which means we use far less electricity and our bills are lower.

We’re growers and, like anyone who produces food, we use technology, innovation, and strategy to produce the best food we can. We may be growing vertically, and indoors, but we’re a part of the great British farming tradition, creating a more resilient and sustainable food system.

From the little gem of an idea nine years ago, we’re now investing more than £100m to build Pepperness, our vertical farm, in Sandwich in Kent. The investment has been led by Generate Capital, a US Public Benefit Corporation that invests in sustainable agricultural infrastructure and shares our commitment to transforming the systems that we need to build a world where we can live within the limits of our planet.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our future is more farms, more crops, and more impact.

If you’re a rocket scientist, a foodie, or just want to be part of a better-tasting, more sustainable future for UK fresh produce,
we’d love to hear from you.