Thanet Earth has begun harvesting its first British-grown cucumbers of the season this week.
The Kent grower - which operates six glasshouses covering around 45 hectares, of which two are dedicated to cucumbers - said its investment in growlights had helped it extend the season to make it the first large-scale supplier to reach supermarket shelves.
A quarter of a million cucumbers are expected to be picked this week, after which numbers grow to peak in the summer at a total of around 30 million cucumbers each year.
Growing director Arjan de Gier said: “We are very proud to be harvesting what we believe to be the first British cucumbers of 2019 here at Thanet Earth. We took the decision to invest heavily in growlights last year to extend the cucumber season for as long as possible, increasing the availability of British produce and decreasing our reliance on imported produce.
'With uncertainties in the market, including the impact of Brexit, it is important to meet as much demand as possible here in the UK. But we aren’t just the first, I truly believe that our cucumbers are some of the best quality and tastiest cucumbers available.”
No comments yet