Mushroom supplier Greyfriars is planning to develop a large new £4.5 million energy-efficient facility in Yorkshire in a bid to reduce the amount of imported product consumed in the UK.
Currently just 25 per cent of mushroom demand in the UK is met by home-grown product and the vegetable supplier hopes to vastly boost this with a new 7,000sqft development harvesting 150,000lbs of mushrooms each week.
The site at Wath will contain 12 growing rooms, supporting facilities and will be surrounded by planted woodland and flood defences, with environmental consciousness at the forefront of the development plans.
The groundwork, portal frame and cladding is set to cost around £1.5m, with the growing rooms, environmental control kit, irrigation equipment and growing beds costing around £3m.
The site is likely to open, following approval from Harrogate Borough Council, in January or February 2010, with 60 jobs created at a wage bill of £800,000.
Greyfriars chairman John Smith told freshinfo the proposals are part of a long consultation process. He said: “We have been working on this for around two and a half years and think it is time for this to be done. There has been limited investment in modern mushroom farming in the UK in recent years and we need to give the country the ability to be flexible and deliberately source UK mushrooms.
“There are long-term issues with the Irish and Dutch mushroom industries and the portents for relying on their imports is questionable. Only a few growers can really say they are truly home grown as many use compost sourced from the Dutch.”
The site will feature 15,000sqm of indigenous trees and Smith hopes the large UK site will also help to reduce food miles.
“We currently supply Morrisons and Netto and have had interest from other supermarkets who are looking to source locally and cut food miles," he said.
“I am keen to impact positively on the local area. Our facilities at the moment have sculptured gardens and ponds to increase its attractiveness. The new farm will bring in new jobs for the area, which is positive in a time of rising unemployment, and we will need all 60 staff six weeks after it opens.
“The project ticks all the boxes. It will reduce imports, cap food miles, reduce traffic levels in the local area, create jobs, enhance the environment and will represent a sustainable agricultural development for the long term. Everyone will be a winner,” said Smith.
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