Our role as property investors and managers is not only to provide land and buildings but also to understand the businesses we work with and create the conditions for them to succeed.
GrowUp Farms in Kent is a clear example of this.
While managing Discovery Park in Kent, we established an energy services company (ESCO) to supply sustainable heat and power to tenants across the site.
From the outset, we had identified the potential for vertical farming to flourish, thanks to its unique energy requirements and our ability to deliver a reliable and affordable power supply.
GrowUp Farms acquired land at Discovery Park to build their first large-scale vertical farm.
We supported them not only with the land but also through the ESCO, ensuring the farm could access the green energy essential to its operations.
The five-acre site uses stacked vertical shelves to grow fresh, pesticide-free salad indoors, using hydroponics and LED lighting to optimise growth conditions while minimising water usage and environmental impact.
Vertical farming is, quite literally, about converting power into food, and co-locating the farm next to our ESCO operation and running off 100% renewable energy means GrowUp Farms has been able to grow salads now stocked nationwide by major UK supermarkets.
The project reflects the importance of partnership.
We brought long-term vision as freeholder and energy provider, while GrowUp Farms brought their expertise in controlled-environment agriculture.
Together, we created the right environment for the business to scale.
The farm in Kent is now established, and we are in ongoing discussions with GrowUp Farms around further sites as they roll out their expansion plans.
Alongside the land transaction, Maritime also shares in the energy revenues through our ownership of the local power infrastructure.
GrowUp Farms demonstrates our ability to go beyond conventional landlord-tenant relationships.
Maritime Capital is committed to investing sustainably, and by understanding our innovative tenant’s business model and aligning it with our own expertise in energy and property, we have helped build a platform for growth in one of the UK’s most innovative food sectors.
