Inside London’s first underground farm

But they mark the entrance to the city's first underground farm, lying 33m below street level.

The entrance to Growing Underground

Once an air raid shelter off Clapham High Street, the space now houses a high-tech farm that yields up to 70 tonnes of crops each year.

After a short trip underground in a cage sits rows of shelves, with micro vegetables growing on recycled carpets.

Founders Steven Dring and Richard Ballard were given the space by Transport for London (TfL) in 2012 to trial 'Growing Underground.' 

A lift takes you 33m down into the farm

Every so often, a train still rumbles overhead.

Peas, purple cabbage, broccoli and coriander, are just some of the crops produced by the innovative city farm.

A purplish glow emanates from the many LED lights, which can be adjusted to suit the needs of each crop.

Micro greens are grown under LED lights

Established in 2015, Growing Underground now supplies major supermarkets, including Waitrose & M&S, Whole Foods Market and Tesco.

However, its crops have garnished the dishes of local shops, cafes and restaurants across Clapham.

Dring and Ballard created the company in the hopes of reducing food miles and waste.  

Very few farms in Zone 2 can cater restaurants the same day, let alone take four hours to transport vegetables from farm to plate.

Peas, garlic, spinach, broccoli and herbs are among the vegetables grown

Growing Underground’s sustainable ethos runs throughout its development model. 

The farm is built on a brownfield site, while its irrigation and growing techniques save on energy, water and space.

Soon the business is opening new premises in North London - though this time it's above ground.

Crops are packaged by teams of workers and sent to suppliers

More space will give Growing Underground the potential to grow larger vegetables and even fruit in the future. 

You can find out more here: https://growing-underground.com/