Graham was born and grew up in the old mining valleys of South Wales. He has previously worked for many years in big ad agencies and his own boutique creative consultancy in London, but his vision and his heart was always to come home and do something here which would help the communities he came from. We met him many years ago when his plans for his Welsh business were in their infancy and seemed impossibly big for him to achieve with no resources. But he never gave up on his idea, in spite of the struggle to get people to believe he could really make it happen.
Valleys Veg is now a reality. Operating out of a small unit in Aberdare, it produces high quality, fresh, tasty and nutritious Microgreens using CEA farming techniques (hydroponics, LED). Graham aims to establish a unique business in the Valleys capable of producing a quality product which in turn will create a new local supply chain and much needed local employment opportunities (the climate and terrain makes traditional outdoor farming unviable).
Graham has previously obtained some grant funding from i2i, Innovate UK and PyC to establish and test two facilities but required extra funds to equip them fully and help with cashflow as he built customers and sales. With little resources or assets of his own, he couldn’t obtain funding from other lenders but Purple Shoots was able to help. The business is flourishing now with sales to wholesalers, local pubs and restaurants with an online shop in the pipeline. He has just received a top score of 5 food hygiene rating for his production unit and is implementing a HACCP reporting programme. Indoor farming requires a lot of electricity and the recent energy price hikes have been a particular challenge but his determination and vision drives him on.
Purple Shoots has helped him with a follow on loan as his business has developed and we are excited to see where he takes it and the impact it will have on the communities around it.
Graham says:
“…Purple Shoots offer a vital financial lifeline for start-up or micro businesses that find it difficult to obtain capital from often risk-adverse traditional sources – they can be a real lifesaver.”
