We are

Grow Bristol

We are committed to producing
fresh, local, sustainable food.

Find out more below

A NEW KIND OF MARKET GARDENING

Grow Bristol is a new urban farming enterprise developing innovative and sustainable ways of growing food in the city for the benefit of all its inhabitants and the wider world. We are creating a new kind of market gardening with vegetable and fish production in city spaces not normally suited to agriculture.

Our aims are to: produce fresh, local, sustainable food all year round; educate and engage with people to increase knowledge and wellbeing; and promote enterprise and develop employment opportunities. We call this approach ‘smart urban farming’; where innovation and business meet to bring environmental, economic and social benefits.

Grow Bristol’s wider vision is that urban agriculture contributes to making Bristol a healthier, happier and more prosperous and sustainable city.

FINDING SOLUTIONS TO SOME BIG CHALLENGES…

Carbon Footprint

Reducing the carbon demands of food production and distribution - the average distance
travelled by a lettuce to a UK dinner plate is 1,800 miles

Energy Efficiency

Growing food in controlled environments powered by renewable energy

Sustainability

Adapting to climate change and
increase food security; 95% of fresh produce in supermarkets
is at risk from climate change

Fresh Produce

Growing food next to the point of consumption increases taste and nutritional benefits

Water Footprint

Reducing the water demands of food production; e.g. it takes 130 litres per kg to produce the average lettuce

Community

Bringing people closer to their food and encouraging growing and cooking from scratch

Local Produce

Increasing the availability of locally-produced food; 60% of fruit and vegetables we eat
are imported to the UK

Environment

Reducing pesticide use, saving water and carbon, taking pressure off our precious soils, making productive use of city spaces not normally suited to agriculture

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OUR PRODUCE

OUR GREENS

With our urban growing systems we can produce fresh, ultra-local and sustainably- produced microgreens, baby-leaf salad and herbs…and we can produce them all-year round! Greens are healthy and tasty and an important part of any diet…providing vitamins like Vitamin A, B and C; minerals like iron, calcium and potassium; and other good stuff like antioxidants, folic acid, and beta-carotene. We are growing pea shoots, radish and coriander leaf, micro leek and much, much more…in fact whatever is requested.

OUR FISH

Essential to our urban ‘aquaponic’ growing system are the fish that help to provide the nutrients for the plants (and get clean water back in return)…and also provide food for us. Tilapia are very common around the world as a farmed fish. We farm them to high environmental and welfare standards and our closed-loop system avoids the negative environmental impacts associated with other forms of fish farming. Tilapia are omnivorous, so we can use a variety of organic and sustainable food for them which doesn’t include other fish caught from the ocean. Tilapia is a tasty, low-calorie and versatile fish for cooking and is slowly becoming widely available in the UK as a sustainable choice and an alternative to species like cod.