You have to ‘Grow the Communities’ you want to be a part of…

Grow has proudly been a community pick-up location for Growing Communities’ veg box scheme since 2021.

As a grassroots community venue, we have been built by our community, through our community, and for our community. Though we have evolved over the years - 12 and counting! - into a renowned live space and radical experiment in ethical business practice, we are honoured to remain a supporter of Growing Communities as a group that celebrates and advocates for community-building and tackling climate change through our food systems. 

Who are Growing Communities?

For the last 30 years, Growing Communities have made it their mission to transform our entire food system for the better. They are a veg-box scheme, sure, but their ethos and approach is quietly radical. Through Growing Communities, farmers get at least 50% of their produce sale price; a supermarket would pay less than a third of that. 

Growing Communities are proudly pesticide-free, and soil association certified, which means all of their produce meets the highest standards about the production of organic food, protecting human health, and safeguarding the environment.  As a matter of fact, for every £1 spent through Growing Communities for your veg, £3.70 is generated to support farmers, ecological projects, and value for you! 

In simple terms, Growing Communities are climate-friendly fruit and veg boxes for North and East London. “Fresh. Organic. Seasonal. It's veg but better, for you, your farmers, your planet.” 

What’s this got to do with building communities in Grow?

As they have said themselves: 

“Grow’s creativity and passion for supporting grassroots local artists is inspiring and we’re so pleased to partner with them. This project will keep Hackney Wick’s vibrant spirit warm, in the colder months and into the future!”

Thanks to the support of the Arts Council England Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we have been able to connect our visitors more to the vital food cycle and ecological advocacy undertaken by Growing Communities.

In January and February, we were able to offer a 20% discount for new subscribers to the veg box scheme. On top of that, we have been able to inaugurate - and will continue to honour - a 10% Grow Discount for all Growing Community members.

And of course, working with Growing Communities and being exposed to such passion for seasonal, sustainable food production influences the Grow menu, and our fantastic Grow Chef, Sam!

“Essentially, what we’ve got here is an interconnected web of local people, and businesses, and growing sites, and farmers,” Julie Brown, director of Growing Communities tells us. “What’s flowing through this system is amazing food.”