An ambitious project to grow commercial ginger in the UK is laying bare the challenges faced by agritech pioneers when it comes to securing government support and funding.
Alastair Hawken, founder of Hawkens Gingerbread in Grantham, Lincolnshire, is attempting to establish what he believes is “the country’s first commercial ginger plantation”—but says he has faced years of obstacles and little help from the government.
“The potential is to totally revolutionise the spice industry, but I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve almost given up,” he said, after turning to a neighbour to help design and build a hydroponic system when formal funding bids were rejected.
Hawken’s initiative comes in response to growing concerns about carbon-intensive imports. His gingerbread business currently relies on ginger imported from China, but he was prompted to explore domestic cultivation due to “the huge carbon footprint involved in importing it” and “realising the huge potential to grow ginger in this country as well as other spices.”
After being turned down for a £50,000 Innovate UK grant to plant a test crop—“with no feedback, which I think is deplorable”—his neighbour stepped in voluntarily to build a hydroponic setup using water-based nutrient solutions. The project now supports ginger grown under cover in a polytunnel and is due to be harvested in November.
Despite securing a large contract with a US client, Hawken said he was also rejected for bank funding. Only a viral plea on LinkedIn allowed him to raise the £150,000 needed for ingredients, packaging, and staff costs. “The government is fantastic at talking about the strategies but it has to understand that there are so many barriers to small and medium-sized businesses in getting funding and support,” he said.
“I even had a private meeting at the House of Lords this year to get some understanding as to why there’s no funding, but the doors just stay shut.”
His frustrations were echoed during the BBC’s Politics North programme, where the issue of SME support was raised more broadly.
Wayne Dickson, Social Democratic Party group leader on Leeds City Council, told the programme that small businesses had raised concerns with him about national insurance and business rates, but also a lack of finance from banks. “I think until that changes, the pressures are still going to be on those small and medium businesses that, to be honest, are the lifeblood of our society, and we need to build them and grow them and nurture them really, and that’s what we’re lacking at the moment,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) responded: “We know access to finance is a huge issue for businesses, and especially SMEs who play a crucial role in our economy. We’re determined to back these businesses as part of our Plan for Change.” The department pointed to recent support measures announced by the chancellor, and promised “further support in our Small Business Strategy later this year.”
While Hawken’s pioneering ginger crop nears its first harvest, his experience serves as a sharp reminder that without tailored agritech support, the UK risks missing out on home-grown innovation—quite literally.
