Growing Kent & Medway and Produced in Kent have signed a formal collaboration agreement to provide local food entrepreneurs with subsidised business training and marketing support to accelerate their growth.

Growing Kent & Medway Programme Director Simon Barnes outlines how regional collaboration and practical innovation are essential to bridge the gap between high-level policy and real-world results in the UK food system.

Growing Kent & Medway has unveiled an Innovation Benchmarking Tool designed to help food and drink businesses evaluate and enhance the success of their research and development projects. In an industry increasingly defined by the need...

Our third Be Your Own Boss programme concluded with a Showcase at Sunflower House, Folkestone, on Monday, 1st December 2025. Be Your Own Boss is our flagship start-up programme, working with communities to create new enterprises and...

An independent report by strategic consultant Strat House has valued the Growing Kent & Medway brand at between £3.2 million and £5.5 million. The market valuation was calculated during a brand review , undertaken to establish the...

How a regional strategic approach to food systems could tackle health inequalities in the UK. Simon Barnes, Director for Growing Kent & Medway, reflects on the IGD 'Future of UK Food Systems' Conference, which took place on 1 st October...

Be Your Own Boss is back and now in Folkestone! Applications are now open for young parents (18-25 years) to gain the skills and confidence to launch their own food and drink company. This October, we are bringing Be Your Own Boss to...

Introduction What if there was a simple soil addition that could make your plants more resilient to drought, reduce the need for fertiliser, and actively fight climate change by locking carbon away for centuries? It sounds too good to...

In this insightful case study, Richard Bowe, founder of Re-generation Earth, demonstrates how biochar can revolutionise farming practices by providing a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers. Through a Collaborative Research...

Our recent STEM-focused event for secondary school children identified significant gaps in young people's awareness and understanding of the agri-tech sector. So how do we attract the next generation of talent and skills needed to...

In this insightful interview, Simon Barnes, Programme Director of Growing Kent & Medway, shares his vision for transforming the UK food system through collaboration, technology, and innovation. Just weeks into his role, Simon discusses...

Nim's Naturally, located in Sittingbourne, is an award-winning producer of air-dried fruit and vegetable crisps. Its founder, Nimisha Raja MBE, has provided expert mentoring to our Food Accelerator businesses since 2022. Later that...