At HECK we use bucket loads of fresh basil and other herbs in our sausage, burger and mince recipes every single day. We wanted to ensure we are growing and using only the freshest and most nutrient packed produce, so we’re building a vertical farm that helps us lower the carbon footprint of these ingredients too. Win-win!
We’re building the first vertical farming facility in Yorkshire, initially to grow basil and other herbs on the farm that will be used in our best-selling HECK Chicken Italia sausages and burgers and HECK Vegan Italia sausages and mince lines. We are working with Vertical Future, who are building a hi-tec unit alongside HECK’s main sausage HQ in Bedale. The unit that we are building will use precise led lighting to create the ultimate growing environment enabling us to grow our own ingredients from seed to crop in just two weeks.
HECK’s Debbie Keeble, says of the new development, “There are huge benefits to vertical farming. No pesticides or herbicides, less water and food waste, no transport, more efficient production, taste control and better shelf life. Micro-nutrients will also provide fantastic health benefits as well as giving us a unique selling point. We are farmers originally and it’s really exciting to now be investing in the future of sustainable, cutting-edge agriculture and not relying on imports. We’re delighted to work with Vertical Future as they provided the most flexible and innovative solution to our on-site requirements.”
Once we’ve successfully got our basil and herb growing underway, we’re also looking to explore the world of micro-nutrients for future recipe development ideas. We’ll be able to incorporate home-grown micro-nutrients to help us supercharge our ingredients and provide additional nutritional benefits in our recipes.
And because we’ll be growing these ingredients on-site, we’ll cut the carbon footprint of the produce as we’ll no longer need to rely on externally sourced herbs brought to us by road freight. It’s all good!
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