UP CLOSE : Eat up your greens at this Midsomer Norton market microgreen company
Finishing up your greens has never been quite so easy, so super nutritious and so colourful.
A new business, which will be at the Somerset Farmers Market in Midsomer Norton this Saturday, has also put green into those greens, using sustainable energy, organic soil and seeds, and filtered water.
Nub News went to find out more about White Horse Microgreens and Herbs with co-owner Steven Brown, who developed the business by when he returned to his roots as a horticulturist.
The business is just a couple of months old.
" But we have already far exceeded what we set out to do," said Steve. Like the greens his business is growing at an extra ordinary rate, but it is also a lifestyle choice of work. " This is my therapy " Steve jokes, who ran two successful web developing companies after moving away from his original profession.
So what is special about these greens apart from the fact they are small?
" We grow micro herbs and micro greens and just as the plants have their first true leaf, we harvest them. So a micro green is between seven and 21 days old. Like a baby small green.
"They are grown at speed, and that preserves their nutritional value, and concentrates the taste and they are also super colourful.
"They are up to 40 times more nutrient dense than an adult plant, so a great way for children and older people, who are perhaps less keen to eat large amounts, to get their five a day. "
What greens does he grow ?
In his sustainable growing area there are all the vegetables you would expect... so carrots, beetroot, red cabbage, peas and yes, the dreaded broccoli. In terms of herbs, a full range, and growing along with more unusual ones such as a cinnamon basil which Nub News was given a taster of and yes, the flavour is amazing.
Steve studied horticulture at Kirkley Hall College (in Northumberland) and then went to Northumbria University and did two years of a degree in Environmental Management. He worked as a head gardener, in an organic growing company in Denmark and also within the hydroponic world, before being forced to give it all up due to ill health.
"My back got really bad, so bending and working in the cold outside became a no no. " He explained. " My wife was running an organic mother and baby store and she wanted to have an on-line shop. I saw how much it was going to cost to get someone else to design one and I thought wow that's too much, and thought how hard can it be ? So I taught myself how to code, built the on line shop and that's how that business took off."
So he is now combing those skills, having just created a brand new web site, along with doing the local Somerset Farmers Markets and selling, discreetly, to many top drawer restaurants. "Chefs cant believe the taste of our herbs," he tells us.
Steve wanted to work from home to also look after his two children but admits they are a bit bored of hearing about his love of greens.
" I wake up talking about micro greens, I go to sleep talking about micro greens I am obsessed, my girls groan about it. The greens are so high in nutrients, they bring so much flavour to a dish. It brings any dish alive, if you have a salad and just use a small bit of rocket or the cinnamon basil and it just wows in terms of taste. "
Every plant is sold by weight and keeping it simple every green is sold at a set price of £3.50 per 35 grams - with free delivery for three pots.
You can order and find out more by clicking HERE:the White Horse Micro Greens site
Because it is grown in containers, he cannot get organic certification, although they are grown in organic soil and from organic seeds.
The greens are popular both ends of the generation game
" We are getting a lot of older customers, who perhaps don't eat so much, because there is so much in terms of nutritional value in a small amount, it suits them, just to have small portions.
"But at the farmers' markets, we put out tasters and children will come over and try some and then come running back for more because they are amazed by the taste. Every customer who has bought from us has become a regular customer."
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