HARLOW, UK IS A HIVE OF ACTIVITY

With 12 vertical layers and 300,000 sq ft. of growing space, our Harlow operation has been a hive of activity. 

Creating full-time employment opportunities for the local community has been one of the biggest priorities, led by our Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Kirby. Growing strawberries 365 days a year provides a unique opportunity for local employment in an industry that is typically seasonal and unpredictable. We now have 11 full-time employees, including seven operatives, many of whom have helped build the farm. In the coming weeks, this number will grow to include another 11 employees, including nine operatives.
 
Our R&D facilities in Amsterdam have been invaluable to the establishment of our operations in Harlow, enabling us to take existing learnings and build on them for the UK. Together with local experts and our offtaker partners - more details of which will be announced soon - we have been growing our mother strawberry plants in the nursery and creating new recipes for plump, juicy and great tasting strawberries. 

As the strawberry plants have grown and reached the desired size, they have been separated into their own plants and then monitored and nurtured in Harlow. In total, over 120,000 plants have been propagated and inserted into our climate cells where they are being fed with the right nutrition and light spectra. 

When the British strawberry season coming to an end, the timing couldn't be more perfect!