From Manchester to Market: Our Strawberry Story

At Dillon's Strawberry Farm, we do things differently. While most UK strawberry farms are at the mercy of the weather and seasonal growing windows, we've built a system that lets us grow premium strawberries every single month of the year — right here in Manchester. What Are Vertical Grow Towers? Vertical grow towers stack plants in columns, fed by a precision nutrient delivery system, and grown under controlled lighting. There's no soil, no pesticides, and no dependence on sunshine or rainfall. From a single tower, we now operate 28 vertical grow towers at our Manchester facility. Each produces a consistent, repeatable harvest — meaning customers and restaurant partners can rely on fresh, locally grown strawberries year-round. Why It Works So Well for Strawberries Strawberries are ideally suited to vertical farming. Their compact root systems and consistent demand make them perfect candidates. Our towers maximise yield in a fraction of the space of a traditional field — no large land requirements, no seasonal limitations. The environmental benefits are significant. Our closed-loop irrigation uses up to 95% less water than conventional farming. We grow completely pesticide-free in a controlled environment where temperature, humidity, light, and nutrients are precisely managed. The Results Because our strawberries are grown locally in Manchester and harvested at peak ripeness, they reach customers fresher than anything travelling from Spain or Morocco. Fewer food miles. Better flavour. Better for the environment. This is the future of UK agriculture. And it's already happening in Manchester. — Anthony Dillon, Founder, Dillon's Strawberry Farm