Growing Communities
Growing Communities is a London not-for-profit social enterprise that runs organic veg box subscriptions, the UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market in Stoke Newington, and the Better Food Shed wholesale operation, sourcing directly from small-scale UK organic farms for London consumers, schools, and ethical retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Growing Communities does
Growing Communities is a London-based not-for-profit social enterprise structured as a company limited by guarantee, founded in 1996 by Julie Brown. It operates an integrated organic food system comprising a weekly veg box subscription scheme in North/East London and South London (over 1,800 bags packed per week at The Old Fire Station, Stoke Newington), the UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market in Stoke Newington (operating since 2003), the Better Food Shed wholesale operation in East London (launched 2019), and two urban growing sites, Hackney Patchwork Farm and Dagenham Farm, producing approximately 5 tonnes of vegetables annually. The company is staffed by approximately 30 part-time employees and led by a directorate including Julie Brown and three deputy directors covering routes to market, people and places, and supply chains. Customer cohorts include individual London subscribers, schools (80+ groups hosted in 2025), corporate team-building clients, and wholesale ethical food retailers.
Revenue is generated through weekly subscriptions (collected at neighbourhood pickup points rather than delivered, with 96% of members walking, cycling or using public transport), farmers' market stall fees, wholesale margins via Better Food Shed, donations, and fees for educational visits and corporate volunteering. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but a 20% pensioners' discount is offered and Healthy Start and Rose Vouchers are accepted. All core income is self-generated, with no external equity investors; surpluses are reinvested in mission activities including training new-entrant growers and advocating for organic farming policy. Sourcing is anchored in small-scale organic and biodynamic farms in Kent, Essex, Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, with 87% of packed produce UK-grown and 87% bought direct from farmers in 2024/25, and farmers receiving 50% or more of the customer pound (versus 8% in supermarket-driven systems, per New Economics Foundation research).
The technology stack is entirely third-party: Stripe for card payments, Go Cardless for direct debits, Mailchimp for the 'Time to Eat' newsletter, Textmarketer for SMS, and Growing Good Technology Ltd for member database hosting. There is no proprietary software, no mobile app, and no AI/ML capability. Strategic differentiation is rooted in a collection-based, community-led model, the Food Zones conceptual framework, Soil Association organic certification, Living Wage employer status, and Better Food Traders network membership; the competitive moat is mission-driven community loyalty and operational specialty rather than technology.
Growing Communities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Growing Communities
- Legal name
- Growing Communities
- Website
- https://growingcommunities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Growing Communities is a London not-for-profit social enterprise that runs organic veg box subscriptions, the UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market in Stoke Newington, and the Better Food Shed wholesale operation, sourcing directly from small-scale UK organic farms for London consumers, schools, and ethical retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Growing Communities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Food Retail & Community-Supported Agriculture
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK), Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI), Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Growing Communities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Growing Communities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Veg Box Subscriptions: Weekly subscription model delivering seasonal organic fruit and vegetables to members. Members pay upfront for weekly deliveries and collect from local points. Operates separate schemes for North/East London and South London.
- Farmers' Market Sales: Weekly all-organic farmers' market in Stoke Newington where producers sell directly to consumers. Growing Communities coordinates the market.
- Wholesale (Better Food Shed): Organic fruit and vegetable wholesale arm serving London veg schemes, shops, schools and food projects. Connects small ethical retailers with local farms.
- Donations and Fundraising: Accepts one-off and recurring donations to support wider non-profit work including training new entrant growers, educating schoolchildren, and advocating for organic farming. Crowdfunding for education hub at Dagenham Farm.
- Farm Visits and Team Building: Educational visits for schools and corporate team volunteering sessions at Hackney Patchwork Farm and Dagenham Farm generate some revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Standard veg box subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Growing Communities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Growing Communities operates a weekly organic Veg Box Subscription Scheme, packing over 1,800 bags of fruit and vegetables every Wednesday at The Old Fire Station in Stoke Newington for collection at points across North/East and South London. The organisation also runs the UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market (since 2003) and a not-for-profit wholesale arm called the Better Food Shed serving ethical food schemes, shops, schools, and food projects across London. Urban production is conducted at Hackney Patchwork Farm (four organically certified market gardens in Hackney parks and estates) and Dagenham Farm (producing ~5 tonnes of vegetables annually).
Product overview
Growing Communities operates a portfolio of interconnected food system initiatives centered on organic, seasonal produce. The core offering is the Veg Box Subscription Scheme, a collection-based model delivering weekly organic fruit and vegetable bags from local pickup points across North/East and South London. Supporting this are the Stoke Newington Farmers' Market (weekly organic market since 2003) and the Better Food Shed wholesale operation connecting ethical food schemes with local organic farmers. Urban growing is delivered through the Hackney Patchwork Farm network of four market gardens and Dagenham Farm, which together supply salad, tomatoes, and seasonal vegetables. Additional offerings include educational programs, corporate team volunteering, and a weekly newsletter, all aligned with the organization's mission to create sustainable, farmer-focused food systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Better Food Shed: Not-for-profit organic fruit and vegetable wholesaler serving East London
- Hackney Patchwork Farm
- Dagenham Farm
- GC South
- Food Zones
Products and services
- Veg Box Subscription Scheme Weekly organic fruit and vegetable box subscription with collection points across North/East London and South London. Members subscribe and collect pre-packed seasonal bags from local pickup locations rather than receiving door-to-door delivery, reducing carbon emissions. Over 1,800 bags are packed each Wednesday at The Old Fire Station HQ in Stoke Newington.
- Stoke Newington Farmers' Market Weekly all-organic farmers' market held on Saturdays at St Paul's Church, Stoke Newington High Street, where producers sell directly to consumers. The UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market, coordinated by Growing Communities.
- Better Food Shed Wholesale Not-for-profit organic fruit and vegetable wholesale operation based in Bow, delivering produce to other veg schemes, shops, schools and food projects across London. Connects small-scale organic farmers in Kent, Essex, Cambridgeshire and East Anglia with ethical retailers.
- Hackney Patchwork Farm Network of four small organically certified market gardens in Hackney parks and estates producing seasonal salad leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs and plants, managed by Sophie Verhagen. Direct sales from the Clissold Park site on Tuesdays.
- Dagenham Farm Urban organic farm in Dagenham producing approximately 5 tonnes of vegetables annually (salad, leafy greens, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, rhubarb and herbs) in glasshouses, polytunnels and outdoor growing spaces, managed by Alice Holden and Ashlea Fern. Includes direct-to-consumer weekly stall at Dagenham East tube station.
- Educational Visits & Farm Workshops School workshops and educational programmes teaching children about food origins, nature, and organic farming at Hackney Patchwork Farm and Dagenham Farm. Over 80 school groups visited the farm in 2025; programmes include hands-on food growing, nature connection, and healthy eating workshops for schools and youth groups.
- Corporate Team Volunteering Corporate team-building away days involving practical food growing activities and farm work at Hackney Patchwork Farm or Dagenham Farm, generating revenue for the organisation.
- GC South Veg Box Scheme Veg box scheme covering South London, operated as the GC South branch, providing weekly organic fruit and vegetable bag collections to South London members. Orders all veg for GC South and oversees packing operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- £3.70 of value generated per £1 spent for customers, farmers, citizens and planet
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Growing Communities
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Growing Communities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Growing Communities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Better Food TraderscoreGrowing Communities co-founded and is a member of Better Food Traders, a network bringing together small, ethical, climate-conscious retailers who support agroecological and regenerative farming. GC also helped create the Better Food Shed wholesale operation.
- Soil AssociationcoreAll produce sold through Growing Communities is certified organic by the Soil Association. Growing Communities participates in Soil Association events and initiatives around packaging and sustainable food systems.
- Growing Good Technology LtdsupportingDatabase hosting and management for veg scheme member information, including postal address, telephone number and email address.
- StripesupportingCard payment provider for processing member payments. Their privacy policy governs how financial data is handled.
- Go CardlesssupportingDirect debit provider for recurring subscription payments from veg scheme members.
- MailchimpsupportingEmail service provider used to store contact lists and send emails to veg scheme members and other interested parties who have given consent.
- TextmarketersupportingSMS service provider used to send text messages about the scheme to veg scheme members.
- Ackroyd Lowrie ArchitectscoreDesigned the education hub proposal for Dagenham Farm. The architects created a state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose design including classroom, toilets, handwashing facilities, and welcoming entrance.
- New Economics FoundationsupportingConducted research evaluating Growing Communities' model, finding £3.70 of value generated per £1 spent. Funded by A Team Foundation's Farming the Future programme.
- Sustainable Food TrustsupportingDagenham Farm is a member of the Sustainable Food Trust's UK network of Beacon Farms, offering 'seeing is believing' experiences to children about sustainable farming.
- Hackney FoodbanksupportingDonations from members who are away are directed to Hackney Foodbank through the Food Credit Scheme. Leftover produce also donated to local food poverty initiatives.
- OrganicleacoreWorkers' coop and veg scheme based in the Lea valley. Like Growing Communities, Organiclea grows fruit, vegetables and herbs and supplies the box scheme. Danny Fisher previously worked at Organiclea before joining GC.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Growing Communities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Big Barn: Big Barn is a UK online directory and marketplace connecting consumers with local farmers, growers and independent food producers. Ecosystem adjacent rather than directly competing — it is an enabling platform for the kind of local, small-scale producer network that Growing Communities supports via its farmers' market and Better Food Shed.
- Better Food Traders: Better Food Traders is a UK network of small, ethical, climate-conscious retailers supporting agroecological and regenerative farming, co-founded by Growing Communities. Ecosystem participant — Growing Communities is both member and co-founder — making it an adjacent peer rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- The Modern Milkman: The Modern Milkman is a UK subscription home-delivery service for milk, groceries and locally sourced products with a sustainability and community narrative. Comparable in subscription mechanics and recurring-delivery consumer value proposition, though it spans a wider grocery category than Growing Communities' organic produce focus.
Direct peers
- Abel & Cole: Abel & Cole is a long-established UK organic food subscription service delivering organic fruit, veg and groceries direct to homes. Comparable as a direct subscription competitor in the organic box market, with similar sourcing philosophies and customer segments, but operating at national scale and via doorstep delivery.
- Oddbox: Oddbox is a UK subscription fruit and vegetable box company that pivots around surplus and 'wonky' produce, with a strong sustainability positioning. Directly comparable in product category (weekly fruit/veg box subscription) and customer segment (urban, sustainability-minded shoppers), though not exclusively organic.
- Organiclea: Organiclea is a workers' cooperative and veg box scheme based in the Lea Valley, North East London, growing fruit, vegetables and herbs on a 12-acre site. Explicitly cited as a partner of Growing Communities, with overlapping CSA-style subscription model, organic growing, and London geography.
- Riverford Organic Farmers: Riverford is the UK's largest organic vegetable box scheme, founded in Devon by Guy Watson and delivering to ~70,000 homes weekly via a farm-to-doorstep model. It is the closest direct competitor to Growing Communities' subscription veg box, though it operates nationally and via home delivery rather than the collection model.
- Fresh Range: Fresh Range is a Bristol-based online farmers' market delivering local produce from independent UK farms to homes. Comparable as a digital-first farmers' market / box scheme combining local sourcing with subscription logistics, though regional to the South West rather than London.
Regional players
- Borough Market: Borough Market is one of London's most prominent wholesale and retail food markets, with a strong emphasis on small, independent and specialist producers. Comparable as a London-based curated food retail venue connecting urban consumers to ethical producers, though operating at much higher footfall scale than the Stoke Newington weekly market.
Broad incumbents
- Daylesford: Daylesford is a UK organic farm and farm-shop retailer with cafés, cookery school and home delivery, operating at scale across multiple channels. Comparable as an established organic food brand with retail and subscription reach, though much broader in scope than Growing Communities' community-led CSA focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Growing Communities social profiles
Digital presenceGrowing Communities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Growing Communities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Growing Communities subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Growing Communities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Growing Communities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Growing Communities
What does Growing Communities do?
Growing Communities operates a weekly organic Veg Box Subscription Scheme, packing over 1,800 bags of fruit and vegetables every Wednesday at The Old Fire Station in Stoke Newington for collection at points across North/East and South London. The organisation also runs the UK's only weekly all-organic farmers' market (since 2003) and a not-for-profit wholesale arm called the Better Food Shed serving ethical food schemes, shops, schools, and food projects across London. Urban production is conducted at Hackney Patchwork Farm (four organically certified market gardens in Hackney parks and estates) and Dagenham Farm (producing ~5 tonnes of vegetables annually).
Is Growing Communities a public or private company?
Growing Communities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Growing Communities founded?
Growing Communities was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Growing Communities based?
Growing Communities is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Growing Communities make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Veg Box Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are farmers' Market Sales, wholesale (Better Food Shed), donations and Fundraising and farm Visits and Team Building.
Who are Growing Communities's main competitors?
Others on record are Big Barn and Better Food Traders. The Modern Milkman is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Abel & Cole, Oddbox, Organiclea, Riverford Organic Farmers and Fresh Range. Borough Market is listed as a regional player. Daylesford is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Growing Communities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Growing Communities.
What industry is Growing Communities in?
Growing Communities's product category is Organic Food Retail & Community-Supported Agriculture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAHAG, Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail, with a secondary code of CRAHAHAA, Produce Markets & Greengrocers. Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 100.