From field to fork

• Our producers are dedicated to continually searching worldwide for different varieties of salads to introduce new flavours, colours and textures – that’s why there’s now a huge and delicious range of salad leaves available.
• For baby salad leaf production, seed is drilled straight into the ground, with one acre providing more than eight million baby salad leaves. Whole head lettuces are planted into the field as seedlings and take about 48 days from seed to harvest.
• We’re constantly striving to extend the UK growing season, so that salads can be grown locally reducing the need for transportation. For instance, more than 30 varieties of spinach will be grown in any one year to cope with the different weather conditions through the growing season.

• Over the years we’ve been working hard to reduce the use of pesticides on salad farms. Crops are monitored all the time for signs of pests and disease before any decision is taken to spray. With baby salad leaves, the growing cycle is so short - as little as just 24 days - that many crops are never sprayed at all. The effect of this change in farming practice can clearly be seen in the increase in biodiversity within cropping areas. In any field of lettuce today you will find a wide range of predators such as ladybirds, ground beetles, lacewings, as well as frogs and toads.
• Natural pest control is also actively encouraged. For instance, hedgerows are planted to provide “wildlife corridors” around the fields. The timing and frequency of hedge, dyke and grass cutting is organised with sensitivity to the creatures who live there and disturbance of nesting areas is kept to a minimum during breeding seasons. Wherever possible, water is recycled and used for crop irrigation.
• Passionate about their products, our farmers stick to strict growing standards and each stage of growth, from sowing the seed, to packing the freshly harvested leaf, is closely monitored.
• The UK season runs from May through to October/November with production switching to the continent in the winter to ensure a year-long supply of fresh, nutritious mixed salad leaves for the British consumer.
• Salads grown in the UK are harvested, packed and on the supermarket shelf within 24 to 72 hours. If they come from Europe, it can take between 3 to 7 days. It is in the industry’s interest to use local crops in order to have fresher products and most packing factories are situated near to key growing areas.
• Another key area in maintaining freshness is in the processing and packing of the products. The delicate nature of salad leaves requires a balance between sufficient washing to clean the leaves and gentle handling to minimise bruising and damage to the leaves. This balance also has to be maintained in the drying process after washing.
• Our salads don’t contain any additives or preservatives. They’re also chilled from within minutes of harvest to the time they are purchased from the chiller cabinet in store. Growers and retailers work together to provide a sophisticated chill chain which keeps the leaves fresh and ready to eat.