Salad specialist Florette has doubled the size of its growing operation in the U.K., in the final stage of a three-year expansion plan designed to boost home-grown production volumes and reduce overseas supply.

In a bid to keep pace with increasing demand and improve sustainability, Florette has been working with its grower network in collaboration with Jepco Marketing and Anglia Salads.

Operations have now increased from 11 to 22 hectares.

Throughout the year, salad producer Angflor has cultivated a range of varieties, including Lambs' Lettuce, rocket, cress and baby kale, exclusively for Florette.

In addition to the production increase, Florette has broaden supply chains and boosted its strategy to source key ingredients locally, thus improving future sustainability, reducing food miles and its overall carbon footprint.

Previously lettuce supplies were imported from France and Spain.

Florette U.K. and Ireland managing director Neil Sanderson says this is the first time Lambs' Lettuce has been cultivated in England on a significant scale, attributingsuccess to the ideal light levels in the growing region of Essex.

"The Angflor vision was to see Florette focus on innovation, freshness and sustainability and the results speak for themselves, as the site has helped reduce food miles by 36,404," he says in a release.

"We look forward to seeing the Angflor site continue to grow and produce even more salad in 2016."

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