Cultivate London

Cultivate London is a social enterprise started with a £250,000 loan from Pathways, and based at Pathways’ head office.

Cultivate London employs young people to grow fresh herbs and vegetables on vacant and derelict land in west London.

The business trains unemployed young people in practical horticulture and sells the produce they help to grow – including pak choi, kale, chard, radicchio and fresh herbs – to nearby homes, restaurants and shops.

The food is grown at two sites – London Road, Isleworth, on land leased from The National Trust, and disused land at Brentford Lock.  They produce over 2,000 potted herbs each month and 5kg each of basil, coriander, parsley and mint.

As well as turning land into productive food growing space, Cultivate London also provides valuable training opportunities and reduces the carbon emissions associated with food production and transportation.

They have, for example, provided horticultural training to 12 unemployed young residents of Ealing and Hounslow Boroughs, later hiring two of them as apprentices.

Cultivate London erects four large polytunnels on vacant land in Brentford Lock, West London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unemployed young people help to grow and market the produce grown in the tunnels.

 

 

 

 

 

Produce is sold to nearby homes, shops and restaurants, helping to reduce carbon emissions from transporting fresh food.