Another first for Asda. It's the first supermarket to stock 'vertical salads'

Asda has announced it's the first UK supermarket group to stock a range of bagged salads nationally and also online which have been grown in ‘vertical farms,’ which significantly reduces the amount of energy and water required to grow them.

A new British salad range brand, Homegrown, is being launched in Asda stores this week. The range includes three SKUs: 80g Mixed Salad, 60g Rocket and 80g Hot & Peppery Cress.

Grown using 90% less water than traditional farming, and powered with 100% renewable energy, the products grown all year round in Gloucestershire will be available nationally online and in 270 Asda stores nationwide from now onwards. 

The plants are grown in trays, stacked vertically, and are exposed to optimum growing conditions. They are fed nutrient-rich solutions, and by using temperature control and artificial lighting, Homegrown can achieve year-round crop production whilst also reducing water, chemicals used and land use.

Asda is continuously looking to offer its customers sustainable healthy options when they visit their stores and reduce its overall environmental impact. 

Asda recently published its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) report for 2022, and this year marks 10 years of the Asda Supplier Sustainability Exchange, helping suppliers share knowledge and improve their own environmental impact.

Dom Edwards, who is Asda's Produce Director 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.”

www.asda.com