Asda becomes third UK supermarket to sell vertical farm salad

Supermarket chain Asda has become the third in the UK to stock a range of bagged salads that have been grown in vertical farms.

In a bid to improve sustainability, the retailer says the salads are grown using 90% less water than traditional methods and are produced year-round at a site in Gloucestershire.

See also: Why ‘vertical’ farming is growing in the UK

The plants are grown in trays that are stacked vertically, in climate-controlled rooms using artificial lighting which comes from 100% renewable energy sources.

Sold under the Homegrown brand, the product range, which includes bags of mixed salad, rocket, and cress, will be available nationally online and in 270 Asda stores across the country.

Asda produce director Dom Edwards said the retailer was happy to move towards sustainability and consistency, with the overall goal of reducing its impact on the environment.

He said: “We’re delighted to be the first British retailer supplying a vertically farmed bagged salad range at this kind of scale, enabling customers to buy nationally and online.

“As well as clear sustainability benefits, the salad leaves aren’t subject to adverse weather – resulting in better availability and more consistent quality for our customers.”

While Asda claim to be the first supermarket chain to stock salads from vertical farms, similar products have been available from Iceland and Tesco stores since February and July respectively.