The Commercial Greenhouse Grower

Cutting-edge technology for new FlavourFresh glass project

The happy sounds of clinking champagne glasses no doubt reverberated around Flavourfresh Group’s headquarters last month as the Merseyside-based tomato producer celebrated the completion of its 1 million pound state-of-the-art glasshouse.

This report is from Rachel Anderson. 

Grower Andy Roe, who led the development from start to finish, proudly claims that it is one of the most energy efficient and modern glasshouses in Britain. This, he explains, is largely because cutting-edge Dutch technology played a large part in the project. He explains that Dalsem, which is based in Holland, supplied many of the materials as well as the contractors. Andy also attributes the successful completion of the project to the hard work of Lancashire-based specialist LS Systems, which won the tender to coordinate the project for the tomato grower. LS Systems therefore helped to select Dalsem for the job and worked closely with its Dutch-speaking contractors.

LS Systems sales director Darren McDonald, who managed the project form the initial civil works right through to the handover, says: “the people who worked for me have been building glasshouses all over Europe for a long time. And now they’ve done what they do in Europe right here in the North West of England. Andy adds that, once he had gained planning permission for the site, the process of selecting contractors and building the structure began a relatively short time ago, in late April last year. Given that the young plants, supplied by Yorkshire-based propagators Plant Raisers, were delivered into the newly finished building last month, on December 2, the project has run relatively smoothly and on schedule and on budget.” Darren says: “We have had three major elements (of the project) that have gone well; - good weather when we have been doing the building work; good contractors; and the fact that everything has gone well in terms of linking it together from LS Systems. We have not had many issues at all.”

Grower Andy Roe, who led the development from start to finish, proudly claims that it is one of the most energy efficient and modern glasshouses in Britain.

The 12.500 square metre structure, which has been built for year-round tomato production, has increased the firm’s overall growing facility by ten per cent. It also boasts several features that are new to Flavourfresh Group, including frameless vents in the roof of the glasshouse, energy efficient side screens, double grow tube heating and a diffused glass roof. Darren explains that the frameless vents improve light level transmission to the crop, while the side screens will improve energy efficiency during the coldest months of the year. The will also work in conjunction with the roof screening installed by subcontractor Holland Screening, another Dutch firm.

The new glasshouse also features thermal screens above the crop as well as a roof made out of diffuse, anti-reflection (AR) coated glass. Darren says: “The AR glass has many benefits. For example, it lets in a maximum amount of light but also reduces the temperature of the crop itself.”