Vertical Farm Tech Business Backs Farm-In-A-Shipping-Container Startup

By George Nott

25 April 2022

Vertical farming business Vertical Future has deepened its relationship with urban shipping container indoor farm company Crate to Plate, to support the latter’s rapid expansion across the south east.

The extended partnership will see Vertical Future invest in the company, as well as offer a building and commissioning service. With Vertical Future’s backing, Crate to Plate plans to establish a 3,000 sq ft footprint glass-fronted vertical farm attached to a plant-based restaurant in Stratford, East London, and a 12,000 sq ft footprint farm in Orpington, Kent.

Source: Vertical Future

Crate to Plate, which supplies vertically farmed vegetables, salads and herbs from city centre containers to restaurants, retailers including Fortnum & Mason, and direct to consumers, has existing farms in Stratford, Canary Wharf, Kentish Town and Elephant Park. It was now seeking to build “larger, non container-based feeder facilities” the company said.

“With our container solutions continuing to support them for their ultra-urban points of sale, it’s also great to now be supporting them with larger design and build projects, in recognition of the rising demand they have for their produce in the London market,” said Jamie Burrows, CEO of Vertical Future, which in January secured £21m in funding, Europe’s largest ever Series A raise in the vertical farming industry.

Crate to Plate was founded in 2020 by former banker Sebastien Sainsbury, great grandson of the supermarket founder.

“We have been a customer of Vertical Future for a few years now and are so excited to be dropping our second phase of Vertical Future built farms in Stratford,” Sainsbury said. “Now also having their financial investment and financing support only further establishes the close partnership between our two companies.”