Peter Pane shows itself to be a pioneer: The burger grill chain cooperates with the start-up Mana Farms and establishes its first indoor farming system at the Breite Straße restaurant in Lübeck.
Photo by Mana Farms
Goodbye, long supply chains: at the end of September, Peter Pane is launching an exciting pilot project at its restaurant on Breite Straße in Lübeck: in collaboration with the ambitious start-up Mana Farms from Leipzig, the burger grill chain is installing an indoor farm to supply the location with fresh lettuce and herbs. "In a test phase lasting several weeks, we want to try out what demand we can actually cover with this system," says Patrick Junge. The managing director of Paniceus Gastro Systemzentrale GmbH has proven in the past through various projects how much he cares not only about innovation but also about the well-being of the environment. The 44-year-old is delighted that he can now continue to work on the efficiency of supply chains and serve his guests even fresher and therefore healthier products in the future. "In this way, we want to offer even better quality and further reduce both CO2 emissions and water consumption."
Photo by Mana Farms
How it works
This is to be achieved with the help of Mana Farms, which has developed its hydroponic vertical farming system specifically for use in restaurants, and it makes them completely independent of suppliers. "We want fresh food to be produced exactly where it is consumed," say founders Richard Daser and Raphael Schardt, "whether it's lollo bionda, basil, or mint" - selected young plants to thrive in the Mana Farm in a mobile canal system, i.e. in containers completely without soil and instead with a circulating nutrient solution.
A 2.5-meter-high "farm", which visually resembles a refrigerator, can accommodate up to 450 plants per month. The seeds are grown in a cultivation box on the upper level of the farm. After three weeks, the sprouts are ready to be placed in the individual channels of the Mana Farm. After a renewed growth period of three weeks, they can be "harvested" by on-site staff, simply by turning off the water and removing the channel.
Agriculture of the future?
In Lübeck, a Mana Farms expert will assist the Peter Pane team during the first weeks of the two-month test phase. If the trial proves successful, more of the burger grill chain's 44 restaurants could soon follow. "For me, there's nothing worse than standing still," says Patrick Junge, who is constantly on the lookout for forward-looking ideas.
For more information:
Mana Farms
www.manafarms.io
Peter Pane
www.peterpane.de