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SeaGrown
Company typePrivate
IndustryMacroalgae aquaculture
Founded2018
FoundersWave Crookes
Laura Robinson
Headquarters
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
,
England
Number of locations
1
WebsiteOfficial website

SeaGrown is a seaweed farming and processing company based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was established in 2018 and in 2019, it was given a grant to be able to grow its own seaweed in a specific area off the coast of Scarborough. It is England's first large-scale, commercial seaweed farm.

The company intends to use the harvested seaweed in the bioplastics industry in the future.

History

SeaGrown was formed in 2018 by Wave Crookes and Laura Robinson; Crookes was previously a diver in the Royal Navy who was involved in other maritime occuptions, and Robinson, who is a marine biologist.[1][2] Initially, the farming of seaweed was literally the two of them cutting seaweed at low tide in and around Scarborough.[3]

At the outset, the company was just the two of them and the seaweed was processed into use as a foodstuff, for pets, bath products and restaurants.[2] The expansion plans, coupled with grants of £500,000 from the Coastal Communities Fund and £25,000 from the Business Enterprise Fund, hope to see the company expand to nine and later 23 to 25 employees with the seaweed being used in the bioplastic and biotextile industries.[4][5] The money also went in to buying newer processing equipment.[6]

The company have acquired a 25-acre (10 ha) site, 3 miles (4.8 km)[note 1] out into the North Sea off the coast of Scarborough.[8] The farm will have buoys and markers with sunken lines onto which the seaweed will grow.[9] The farm area is well away from shipping lanes and is England's first large-scale, commercial farm for seaweed.[10] Whilst Crookes and Robinson acknowledge that the seaweed farming industry has not taken off in Britain (it is farmed in Holland, Spain and Scandinavia), the coast around Scarborough is good for seaweed "prolifically and naturally."[5]

The company have a processing plant located in the town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England.[11] The seaweed will be landed at Scarborough harbour for onward transportation to the processing plant.

Accolades

In 2019, SeaGrown was announced as the Yorkshire Life magazine's Producer of the Year in their annual Food and Drink Awards.[12]

Products

The harvested seaweed is used in bioplastics and the food industry. In 2020, a Yorkshire-based spirit distiller produced a rum derived from sugar-kelp harvested off the coast of Scarborough.[13]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources state the farm is 4 miles (6.4 km) out to sea.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Council backs new seaweed farm plan". York Press. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Fox, Alexa (10 October 2019). "North Sea is home to England's first seaweed farm". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. ^ "SeaGrown's Yorkshire Seaweed Farm | Living North". www.livingnorth.com. August 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  4. ^ Ridler, James (7 October 2019). "Seaweed processor secures £25k loan". Food Manufacture. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. ^ a b Behrens, David (23 March 2019). "Sea green 'Welcome Mat' that could save the planet". The Yorkshire Post. p. 3. ISSN 0963-1496.
  6. ^ "New wave of funding for seaweed farm". The Scarborough News. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  7. ^ Farrell, Stephen (4 October 2019). "Seaweed company secures BEF funding". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Council agrees to seaweed farm grant". BBC News. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  9. ^ Gavaghan, Carl (18 July 2019). "Council backs England's first seaweed farm off Scarborough coastline". The Scarborough News. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  10. ^ "James Brokenshire announces over £36 million for the Great British Coast". GOV.UK. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  11. ^ Farrell, Steven (20 September 2019). "Industrial estate fully let following seaweed company deal". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  12. ^ "2019 Yorkshire Life Food and Drink Awards - Producer of the Year". Yorkshire Life. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  13. ^ McCandlish, Sophie (26 September 2020). "New seaweed rum". The Yorkshire Post. Country Week. p. 17. ISSN 0963-1496.
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