Jones Food Company

Based in England, Jones Food Company (JFC) produces leafy greens and herbs using the hydroponics system and renewable energy. The company has designed and developed its own technology platform with smart lighting being the central infrastructure. 

Ocado, an online grocer, holds a majority stake in JFC and has supported the company in building its vertical farms. JFC operates one vertical farm facility, sized around 55,000 sq ft which was built in 2018 and was considered Europe's largest vertical farm at the time. In October 2021, the company announced that it is building another larger 148,000 sq ft facility called JFC2 in Lydney (Gloucestershire, England), and claims to be the largest of its kind. The new facility is expected to supply 1,000 tonnes of fresh produce to UK supermarkets by 2022. In June 2022, the company announced that it has opened a new Innovation Center in Bristol, UK that will research and test crop varieties to be grown at the JFC2 facility. The company also stated that it could grow soft-fruits, flowers, vines and vegetables at commercial scale within the next few years.

The company has invested more than USD 1.29 million in indoor lighting to provide each plant with its own dosage of light to ensure uniform growth. As per its founder and chief executive, the company has 36 pending patents.

In September 2023, The company launched a new branded range of vertically farmed bagged salads ready to be purchased online across the UK and at 270 Asda stores nationwide.

In February 2024, Jones Food Company opened JFC2, a vertical farm located near Lydney and will vertically grow 12 different herbs and salad leaves, including basil, coriander, flat-leaf parsley, dill, lettuce, pak choi, and baby leaf cress to be supplied through its homegrown range of salad bags, its Lēaf range of sauces and salad bags, and its own brand of herbs.

Key customers and partnerships

Jones Food Company is also working on diversifying its offering, and has partnered with Berry Gardens, the UK’s leading berry producer to conduct trials to produce strawberries vertically (April 2022). Upon successful trials, Jones Food would supply strawberries to Berry Gardens all year round.

Funding and financials

The company’s last round of funding was in July 2019, when it raised USD 10.9 million.