Multi-temperature supply chain specialist Oakland International is cultivating a flourishing workplace garden, with the aim of helping employees connect with nature, learn food-growing skills, and enjoy fresh produce harvested just steps from the company’s canteen.
What was once a neglected and overgrown space at Oakland International’s Redditch headquarters has been transformed into a productive garden packed with fruit, vegetables, herbs, and pollinator-friendly planting.
The initiative was spearheaded by Emily Attwell and Catriona McDonald, whose shared passion for sustainability and food growing inspired them to restore an overgrown area at Oakland International’s Redditch headquarters. Emily, daughter of the company’s co-founders Sallie and Dean Attwell, and Catriona, partner of their son Ben, have transformed the once-forgotten space into a thriving growing area now supplying fresh produce for the company’s canteen.
Their efforts are already bearing fruit, quite literally, with the garden producing multiple harvests that have gone directly into meals prepared for employees.
“We wanted to bring the garden back to life so that it could be enjoyed by Oakland employees, visitors and potentially school groups in the future,” explained Emily.
“As the garden develops, we’d love to see even more colleagues getting involved and discovering how easy and rewarding it can be to grow your own food.”
The garden now boasts an impressive array of crops, including more than ten varieties of courgettes, alongside grapes, tomatoes, sage, rhubarb, lettuce, peppers, strawberries, raspberries, cucumbers and pumpkins.
Despite challenging periods of hot weather, the team has remained committed to maintaining the site, regularly watering and harvesting crops using collected rainwater. Sustainability is embedded throughout the project, with harvested rainwater used for irrigation, biodegradable cardboard repurposed to create pathways, and manure sourced from a neighbouring farm used as a natural fertiliser.
The initiative aligns closely with Oakland International’s ambitious sustainability agenda, including its commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2040.
The proximity of the garden to the canteen, less than a minute’s walk away, means freshly harvested produce can move directly from plot to plate, helping reduce food miles while providing staff with healthy, locally grown ingredients.
To date, the garden has delivered three harvests, with approximately two wheelbarrows of produce taken to the canteen during each of the first two harvests. Oakland International Head of Food Development, Tom Prescott, has incorporated garden-grown courgettes, onions, peppers and herbs into roasted vegetable dishes and salads with employee feedback overwhelmingly positive, with staff describing the produce as “very tasty”.
Beyond food production, the Oakland Garden is enhancing biodiversity across the site. A variety of flowering plants are attracting pollinators, creating valuable habitats for bees and other insects while bringing additional colour and life to the workplace environment.
As the project continues to evolve, Oakland International plans to further develop the space into a wellbeing resource for employees. Plans include additional seating areas where colleagues can relax, learn about growing their own food and spend time outdoors during breaks. The team is also preparing a pumpkin pathway for autumn and creating a new potato-growing area, with hopes of harvesting home-grown potatoes in time for Christmas.
Looking ahead, Oakland International is exploring ways to involve more employees through its emerging Green Board initiative, which will help shape future sustainability projects and opportunities for engagement. The business is keen to encourage more colleagues to get involved in the Oakland Garden, helping to plant, grow and harvest produce while sharing ideas on how the space can continue to evolve for the benefit of all. The company also hopes the garden can play a role in community education, with ambitions to welcome visiting school groups and provide hands-on opportunities for children to learn about food growing, sustainability and nature.
Emily added: “If you have the space, plant some vegetables. Courgettes are incredibly easy to grow, and there’s something really rewarding about harvesting food you’ve grown yourself. It can be simple, affordable and fun.”
With science-based net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Oakland International continues to demonstrate its commitment to measurable climate action, embedding sustainability, responsible governance and social value across every aspect of its operations. Delivering multi-temperature supply chain services across the UK and Ireland Oakland International is recognised for helping businesses protect product integrity, reduce food waste and recover value through its award-winning Distress Load Management service.
Through initiatives such as the Oakland Garden, the business continues to demonstrate how sustainability can be embedded into everyday operations while delivering meaningful benefits for employees, communities and the environment.
