Background
Micro Acres Wales sell an award-winning range of microgreens and edible flowers, including micro coriander, mustard and broccoli, which they grow in an urban vertical farm located in Church Village, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Their microgreens are commonly used as garnishes, owing to their bright colours and intense flavours.
Established during lockdown in 2021, by husband-and-wife team Chris and Donna Graves, Micro Acres Wales initially started out as a hobby but soon became a means for Chris to follow an alternative career path following the diagnosis of ‘ataxia’, a health condition which affects his co-ordination, balance and speech.
Micro Acres Wales contacted ZERO2FIVE for support during the initial stages of launching the business.
Support from ZERO2FIVE
As neither Chris and Donna were from a food production background, they were supported to develop a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan for growing microgreens. This included conducting a hazard analysis, determining critical control points to prevent food safety hazards, and establishing monitoring procedures and corrective actions when issues occur.
Micro Acres Wales were also mentored on the layout of their vertical farm, which was initially located in their garage at home. This assistance ensured the optimisation of their production process flow to avoid microbial contamination between seeds and harvested microgreens, and to make sure that utilities were located in the right place.
Benefits of the support
Following the support from ZERO2FIVE, Micro Acres Wales successfully secured Environmental Health approval and they now sell their range of microgreens directly to restaurants, catering companies, cake bakers, mixologists and cafés across south Wales.
Micro Acres Wales have been finalists in numerous awards and won the title of Outstanding Restaurant Supplier of the Year in the Food Awards Wales 2023.
On the back of this success, Micro Acres Wales are planning to relocate to a much larger production facility. ZERO2FIVE are once again providing support with factory design to ensure that best practice for process and hygiene controls is followed.
Chris and Donna Graves, Owners, Micro Acres Wales:
“ZERO2FIVE have supported us at crucial points of our business journey, from startup to expansion. Their expertise, knowledge and understanding has been invaluable and their initial HACCP support gave us confidence in our production processes. As a relatively new industry and manufacturing process here in Wales, ZERO2FIVE were comprehensive in their support, problem solving and guidance.”
“We have exciting future plans, thanks to the CEO of Cenin, who have enabled our dream to expand into a unit facility to become a reality, increasing our production capacity to supply wholesale. With continued support from ZERO2FIVE, we will be adding to our production range and reducing our product waste. Exciting times ahead for this family business that started with a single tray on a windowsill.”
