Scottish farming collective launch broccoli snack

A group of Scottish farmers and food industry professionals have raised millions to launch an 'innovative' vegetable based snack brand.

Fifteen farmers from the farmer-owned cooperative East of Scotland Growers (ESG) and four business directors have invested £2 million of their own money to establish Growers Garden, a company that uses fresh vegetables to produce healthy snacks.

Its products are gluten free, vegan and contain a minimum of 27 per cent fresh broccoli, which it claims delivers the high fibre health benefits of the leafy vegetable, in comparison to other snacks which simply use a dried vegetable powder.

The farmers behind the Growers Garden collective were inspired to use their excess vegetables to create a range of sustainable snacks, in an effort to combat needless food waste.

Chairman Nicholas Marston, who has previously worked at Kanes Foods and berry growing co-operative Kentish Garden Marketing, said: “This fresh new brand is truly innovating within the healthy snack category and we’re proud to say it’s truly delicious, with early product trials showing an 82 per cent likeliness to purchase after taste.

“We are in a great position now to introduce the product to market with high interest already received from international markets.”

Growers Garden is also working in conjunction with Linking Environment and Farming to protect the environment and promote sustainable farming practices.