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Hand-delivered cucumbers

For the fifth year running, Thanet Earth has become the earliest British cucumber grower to harvest its fruit.

Good conditions in the 6.1-hectare greenhouse, run by Addy Breugem and Arjan de Gier,have resulted in British-grown product reaching supermarket shelves at the earliest opportunity.

Staff from the grower yesterday joined Breugem and de Gier at Tesco Extra in Broadstairs, Kent, to hand-deliver the first boxes of cucumbers and to chat with customers about how the fruit was produced.

From now on, the number of cucumbers harvested each week will rise until the summer months when the greenhouse will be at its busiest.

Thanet Earth is a state-of-the-art greenhouse development in Kent. When completed, the site will feature seven greenhouses, producing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

So far, four of the greenhouses have been constructed and are fully operational alongside an on-site packing factory. The crops are sold to the UK’s supermarkets.

Thanet Earth is a joint venture, owned jointly by the Fresca Group of companies, along with three specialist grower companies.