Winter Fruit Grown Under LED Lights & Renewable Energy Supply

As part of our expansion plans for the Global Berry Group, we aim to not only increase the amount of strawberries we produce but also to sustainably grow strawberries throughout the year, displacing more imports. We would like to be at the forefront of helping supermarkets reduce the quantity of imported strawberries and the associated carbon footprint.

In 2021 we set up GB Lights Plc with an objective to provide, install and maintain energy efficient LED lighting at our glasshouses to enable us to produce strawberries all year round putting us at the forefront of strawberry production.   The 3Ha LED lighting installation has recently been installed within one of the glasshouses at our Bradon farm site. 

LED lights make it possible to produce strawberries throughout the year and increase the yield of the strawberry plants, enabling Bradon Farm to provide the British public with more locally-grown strawberries, even in the winter months when nearly all strawberries are imported. The year-round production will also enable us to employ more of our workers on a full-time, permanent basis, rather than seasonal, providing more stability for both parties.

Our Bradon farm is also undergoing a range of improvement measures that will reduce our carbon emissions as we work toward net zero emissions from producing strawberries across our farms.  We are currently installing a 5MWth biomass boiler that will provide the majority of the renewable heat for our Bradon site. Our combined heat and power generator will be used to top up any heat that we require and will continue to supply the electricity for the site. However, we have an agreement to buy green gas certificates for the gas we use which means that the gas will come from a renewable source from early 2022, making our entire energy supply renewable.  The biomass boiler will be commissioned by the end of March 2022.

Research Collaborations

The Global Berry Group strives to be at the forefront of creating future sustainability in the farming sector and aspires to develop a progressive approach to innovation and mechanisation.

We are looking to partner with universities who are leading research pioneers in technology within the agricultural sector. We plan to develop a research centre designated to ongoing studies, providing Growers like ourselves with access to future facilities to drive benefits to both the consumer (affordability) and to the company (profitability).

Plans for Growth

Global Berry has a proven operational track record and knowledge in glasshouse grown fruit farm operations and important distribution networks, supplying six of the UK’s leading supermarkets.

Global Berry was established in 2015, embarking on its first venture revamping 14Ha of glasshouse in Chilton Cantelo and Isle Abbotts (Somerset), to grow and pack strawberries.

Six years on, the portfolio of Global Berry has expanded, introducing an additional site in Nocton, Lincolnshire, of 3.6 Ha of new and refurbished glasshouse to expand our offering of strawberries. There are two further sites identified where stakeholder conversations are progressing, primely located to expand our hub of production in Lincolnshire and Greater London.

We are going through an exciting period with opportunities for growing and building the business. These opportunities are driven by market growth, and a strong interest from other Growers to partner and collaborate in our journey.

Our vision for the future is to lead the way in sustainable fresh food produce, ensuring we tread lightly on the environment, whilst looking after the people within it.