Pioneer Alastair Hawken has become the first person in the UK to successfully grow ginger commercially. The owner of Grantham-based Hawkens Gingerbread has cultivated ginger in hydroponic polytunnels – a breakthrough that could reduce the UK’s reliance on imports of the spice, as well as its hefty carbon footprint.
Alastair developed the soil-free system from scratch with the support of his neighbour, a local plumber. The entrepreneur had the brainwave while attending the government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course at Nottingham Trent University’s Business School.
The successful pilot crop will be used in Britain’s first completely homegrown gingerbread later this year. Alastair is now eyeing other spices that can be cultivated using the same soil-free system, such as turmeric. He has also begun collaborating with a flavour profile expert to identify native UK plants that can replicate popular spice flavours and replace other imports.
Alastair commented: “I first had aspirations to become the UK’s most sustainable biscuit brand about three years ago. I realised that the only way I could really achieve that was to produce our own spices in the UK, which had never been done before.”
“However, coming up with the idea was the easy bit. It was only when I attended the Help to Grow: Management Course that I really started to look at what diversification could look like for my business and think bigger. Having the opportunity to step back from the business gave me the courage and ability to pick up and run with the ginger cultivation concept.”
The innovative approach uses a flood-and-drain technique, where plants receive nutrient-rich water before draining to maximise oxygenation – a critical factor for ginger’s tropical growing conditions. To overcome Britain’s climate limitations, the system maintains steady warmth of between 25-30°C and humidity of 85%.
Alastair continued: “This has the potential to disrupt a £2.4bn industry, but there’s a bigger vision here – proving that the UK can cultivate its own spices.
“This is critical because, right now, we’re entirely dependent on imports, which undermines our food security and carries a massive carbon footprint. Take ginger, for example, UK imports alone generate 38 tonnes of CO₂. By growing more locally, we could slash that figure dramatically.”
Hawkens Gingerbread has also recently signed a six-figure agreement with retail giant TJX, the parent company behind the likes of TK Maxx and Home Depot, which will see it supply gingerbread to locations across the U.S., Canada and Australia by September. Alastair credits the Help to Grow: Management Course for giving him the knowledge and confidence needed to negotiate and secure the deal.
The Help to Grow: Management Course is a 90% government-funded leadership programme for SME businesses, delivered by a network of Small Business Charter accredited business schools. The course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 10 hours of 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. Its mission is to increase economic growth and productivity through improved management and leadership practice.
Flora Hamilton, Executive Director at the Small Business Charter, said: “Alastair embodies what small business leaders can achieve with the right support. Across the region, there are countless entrepreneurs with bold ideas – many just need some additional confidence and guidance to turn their vision into reality. That’s precisely what the Help to Grow: Management Course delivers.”
“Through our network of experts at business schools, we’re helping SME leaders from a huge variety of different sectors build the strategic mindset needed for lasting success. We’re proud to support business leaders like Alastair innovate and bring their ambitious ideas to life.”
Business leaders can find out more about the Help to Grow: Management Course and sign up by visiting: https://smallbusinesscharter.org/help-to-grow-management-course/.
