Urban Farm-Produce, a UK leader in sustainable mushroom cultivation, has successfully attained BRCGS A Grade certification for its state-of-the-art vertical farming facility. This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to food safety, quality, and environmental responsibility, marking a significant milestone for the brand and the wider fresh produce sector.
Urban Farm-It’s pioneering vertical farm combines advanced climate control technology with a 190m² fruiting room capable of producing up to seven tonnes of mushrooms. The facility features front-of-line AEM climate systems, bespoke lighting, and round-the-clock delivery capabilities, ensuring fresher, locally grown mushrooms reach customers faster while reducing food miles.
Elliot Webb, Founder and CEO of Urban Farm-It, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to achieve BRCGS certification in our first audit. It demonstrates our rigorous approach to compliance and quality assurance. This globally recognised standard enhances trust among retailers, foodservice operators, and consumers that every mushroom meets the highest safety and quality standards. Importantly, this success is the result of a groundbreaking partnership with Oakland International, whose expertise in logistics and food safety has been instrumental in helping us deliver a smarter, more resilient food system.”
Urban Farm-It’s vertical farming model is designed for efficiency and environmental stewardship. The operation already holds Red Tractor and Soil Association Organic certifications and champions closed-loop systems, plastic recycling, and anaerobic digestion of spent substrate. These initiatives reinforce the company’s mission to create a regenerative food culture while meeting growing consumer demand for gourmet mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane and Oyster.
Elliot added: “This certification validates our mission to combine sustainability with uncompromising food safety and sets the stage for scaling our regenerative food culture across the UK.
“We’re not just growing mushrooms, we’re reinventing how fresh food is cultivated, distributed, and experienced. Our systems are smarter, more resilient, and deeply connected to people and the planet. As we expand, we’ll keep listening, learning, and evolving with the communities that inspire us.”
