Kent Independent Retailer of the Year
Sponsored by
Who should enter?
Excellence in selling and promoting food and drink from Kent by an independent retailer. The judges will look at delicatessens, butchers, fishmongers, farm shops, and online retailers.
How will this category be judged?
Supplementary information will be requested for this award for instance details of suppliers and product range. This will be paper judged by a team of expert judges. Then a shortlist will be produced and these will be mystery shopped
Judging criteria:
Overall shopping experience, affordability, proof of a good range of Kent produce, customer service, staff knowledge, marketing & promotions, overall food & drink offering
About GrowUp Farms
GrowUp Farms grows
its salads in a controlled environment, where the climate provides the plants
with perfect conditions. This means it can grow to the best standard all year
round and is resilient to climate change.
GrowUp Farms was the first vertical farm to introduce a branded salad into a supermarket chain in the UK with the launch of Fresh Leaf Co. in Iceland stores across the country in February of 2023 and the Unbeleafable range in Tesco in July 2023.
GrowUp Farms' vertical farm, Pepperness, is near Sandwich, Kent. It combines innovative farming technology with renewable energy, using electricity and waste heat from the bioenergy plant next door, which means the farm is not affected by the energy price increases squeezing greenhouse and conventional farmers in the UK.
GrowUp Farms is B Corp certified with a high B Impact Score of 104.7 points, against the pass threshold of 80 points. The score reflects GrowUp Farms' commitment to the high standards set by B Corp to achieve social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability in all areas of the business as well as contributing to the economic and social well-being of the communities that GrowUp Farms operates in, alongside a commitment to environmental causes.
GrowUp Farms is delighted to be sponsoring this year’s TOKA awards to celebrate the best food and drink Kent has to offer! It's not just about the deliciousness though! Sponsoring local initiatives like the TOKA awards allows GrowUp to support the awesome local food and drink community. It’s also a chance to mingle with fellow foodies in the industry.
