Heck Food builds vertical farm for vegan innovation in partnership with Vertical Future – Retail Times
Leading UK-based vertical farming company, Vertical Future, has partnered with Heck Food, to build to create an onsite vertical farm at Heck HQ in North Yorkshire.
Vertical Future’s sustainably grown, ‘beyond-organic’, crops will allow Heck to continue creating unique and interesting flavours in their vegan range. Grown to pack a flavour punch like no other, Vertical Future’s produce is specifically cultivated to develop top-quality taste and nutrient density to Heck’s requirements.
Vertical Future prides itself on an eco-friendly ethos and great tasting produce at its core. Originally founded as a sausage company, Yorkshire-based Heck have recently launched a plant-based range which is packed full of vegetables to create a delicious and nutritious alternative to meat. Not only do they taste great, but the vegan sausages build upon Vertical Future’s existing goal of creating food sustainability without compromising on flavour.
Jamie Burrows, CEO, Vertical Future, says: “Growing fresh produce in a fully controlled environment allows us to ‘play god’ with flavours, aesthetics, and other characteristics – this is because we control all of the different variables associated with plant growth. This has massive benefits for healthy brands like Heck as we can use our systems to respond directly to their needs and specifications. What’s most interesting is that we can do this in a sustainable way, year-round, on demand, and with absolutely no chemicals. This is a step evolution in food production.”
HECK! co-founder, Debbie Keeble, explains: “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.”
By partnering with Heck, a brand which shares its founding values, Vertical Future will continue striving to improve upon the efficiency and sustainability of our future food systems. Partnering with an innovative brand like Heck and establishing a new vertical farm marks the growth of Vertical Future’s systems on a national scale.