The UK’s first Centre of Excellence in glasshouse growing has celebrated a fruitful opening year, with some of its produce being showcased at this weekend’s Kent County Show.
The Thanet Earth Centre of Excellence @ Hadlow College, which was officially opened in June 2024, is an education centre developed to inspire and train the next generation of UK salad and vegetable growers.
It is based at Hadlow College’s state-of-the-art glasshouse and sees horticultural students working directly with Thanet Earth, the UK’s largest glasshouse salad supplier, to develop their skills and grow tomatoes in a commercial crop environment.
It has had a successful first year and the fruits of its labours will, quite literally, be on display at the Hadlow College marquee at the Kent County Show this weekend, where visitors will be able to try tomatoes freshly grown at the facility.
After being officially opened in June 2024, it was announced in December that it had donated a tonne of its produce to the food charity FareShare during 2024, providing the equivalent of 2,260 meals and supporting 27 charity and community groups as a result.
The Centre of Excellence has gone on to feature on both BBC and ITV in the intervening period, and in February horticulture students planted the 2025 crop, with hopes for another bumper year.
The facility plays an integral part in horticulture courses at the College and features cutting edge technology including: suspended gutters running hydroponics for the tomatoes, LED and high-pressure sodium lighting and a vertical growing farm.
Alan Harvey, Hadlow College’s Head of Curriculum for Horticulture and Floristry, says: “Our first year has been a fantastic one, where students have benefited enormously from the Centre of Excellence in developing their skills in glasshouse technology and growing. In addition to this we are very grateful to all our partners who have engaged with students over the year providing guest lecture spots, visits, practical workshops and coaching opportunities.”
Sally Channon, Senior Technologist (Innovation) at Thanet Earth, adds: “It has been remarkable to see the effort and enthusiasm shown by the students, their commitment to learning about how we grow crops in a protected environment using advanced techniques and sustainable practices has been inspirational.
“At Thanet Earth, we’re passionate about producing food efficiently and responsibly, and it has been rewarding to see young people engaging with these principles. This has all been proudly supported by our Sponsors who have enriched the learning experience for the students.”
To find out more about the Thanet Earth Centre of Excellence @ Hadlow College, and everything else the College offers, visit the Hadlow College marquee at the Kent County Show this weekend or visit the projects page of Hadlow College website.
The Kent County Show, held annually in July, is the region’s premier event for farming, agriculture, and countryside life. For three days, the Kent Showground comes alive with animals, horses, vintage vehicles, retail stands, and much more, celebrating the best of the county.
This year it runs from Friday 4 July to Sunday 6 July. To find out more visit the Kent County Show website.