The partnership aims to improve supply chain sustainability with products currently having to be transported across continents before reaching customers. Fresh Direct will sell vertically farmed fresh produce, including basil and watercress, grown in the biosecure vertical farm in Norwich.
Vertical farming can help address some of the logistical issues currently facing the food industry, including crop quality and availability as well as environmental concerns around air freight and food miles.
Tom Bartlett, trading manager at Fresh Direct, said: “It will help to deliver year-round quality and consistency. And, importantly for chefs, the product will be high quality and look and taste fresher as it will not have to stand up to the rigours of a very difficult supply chain.”
Fischer Farms’ climate controlled growing environment, which is the equivalent of 825 football pitches, means it can produce British-grown crops all year round. The farm can produce the same amount of food as 1,000 acres of conventional farmland.
Powered by renewable energy, Fischer Farms processes use less land and water, and no pesticides, herbicides or insecticides due to the controlled cultivation process.
Jon Cummings, sales director at Fischer Farms, added: “Historically, some traditionally grown herbs have travelled thousands of miles before arriving on restaurant menus, with the quality inevitably suffering as a result. However, using the very latest vertical farming innovations, we can produce the freshest, highest quality produce, that chefs will love, all-year-round.
“This highly advanced technique takes the strain out of the supply chain, solves some of the most complex challenges currently facing the foodservice industry, and meets their environmental agenda. We look forward to working in close partnership with Fresh Direct and building a more resilient and sustainable supply chain for foodservice operators across the UK.”