As town centers across the UK contend with boarded-up shops and declining foot traffic, PeachyKeen, a renewable energy company based in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, is working on a solution that could reimagine the role of the high street altogether. At the heart of their approach is the 5P Project, a framework for sustainable urban regeneration built around five guiding pillars: People, Place, Planet, Prosperity, and PeachyKeen.
"It started as a bit of a joke, really," says Andrew Bowie, Director at PeachyKeen. "We had four pillars, but it didn't quite roll off the tongue. So we added ourselves. But over time, each 'P' really found its place, and now it's the foundation for everything we do." Though rooted in the small-scale, off-grid pilot farm PeachyKeen built inside a repurposed 1890s stable, the 5P Project is far more than a technical showcase. It's a scalable concept aimed at regenerating high streets, building local resilience, and creating real economic and environmental impact.
From concept to proof of concept
The journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when PeachyKeen submitted an idea to a local newspaper's "civic conversation" series. Their proposal? Repurpose a large, disused Marks & Spencer building on the Kirkcaldy high street into a multi-purpose sustainability hub—part farm, part retail, part energy facility, part education space.
"We wrote a piece just outlining what we thought was possible. The building had four floors, and we imagined each one being used for something different—renewables, growing food, recycling, manufacturing," Andrew recalls. "We didn't think anyone would take much notice."
Two years later, the local council got in touch. "They said, 'We love it. We want to do it all,'" Andrew says. "That's when we realized we needed to move from vision to reality. And that meant building a prototype." Thus began the development of the pilot urban farm, which now serves as the test bed for everything PeachyKeen hopes to scale.
What the 5Ps mean
While the pilot is the physical manifestation, the 5P framework is the ideological backbone, anchoring every decision in tangible community and environmental outcomes.
"People. It's always about the people," Andrew says. "We want to inspire locals, provide new skills, and bring them into a future-facing economy."
"Place is next. It's hyperlocal. We're based in Kirkcaldy, and everything we do here is about reducing food miles, producing on-site, and bringing life back into the town centre."
"Planet—that one's obvious," he continues. "Every action we take is about mitigating climate change. That's non-negotiable."
"Then there's Prosperity. We want to prove that sustainability isn't just a nice-to-have. It can be commercially viable, scalable, and beneficial to the local economy."
"And PeachyKeen? Well, someone's got to build the thing."
© PeachyKeen
Community wealth building by design
For PeachyKeen, the model isn't about drop-in tech solutions but about building sustainable local ecosystems. Through strategic partnerships with education institutions and sustainability organizations, the project is designed to plug directly into existing community infrastructure. "We're already working with colleges and research bodies," says Andrew. "The idea is that what we do isn't isolated, it contributes to wider learning, innovation, and job creation."
The team has adopted the principles of community wealth building: creating local jobs, retaining value within the area, and fostering co-ownership. That includes involving students in build-outs, collaborating with local trades, and sourcing materials as close to home as possible. "This isn't a vanity project. Every element has to stand on its own and prove it's viable," Andrew emphasizes. "That's what will ultimately make it replicable and scalable."
A high-street problem and an opportunity
PeachyKeen's vision addresses a fundamental challenge in the UK: underutilised town centre real estate. "High streets used to be places where communities gathered, worked, and shopped," says Andrew. "Now, with online shopping and global supply chains, they're full of beautiful old buildings just sitting empty." But retrofitting these properties comes with obstacles, particularly in identifying building owners and navigating local government systems.
"One of the biggest hurdles is that many of these buildings aren't locally owned," Andrew says. "Sometimes, no one even knows who owns them. Without political will and policy support, it's hard to scale." That's where PeachyKeen is hoping data and results from the pilot farm will make a difference. "We've had some success presenting at the Association of City and Town Management and speaking with national bodies. There's interest, but they want to see proof," he says.
Scaling a blueprint, not a brand
While most vertical farming startups seek to scale by centralising operations, PeachyKeen is taking a distributed model approach by offering a blueprint, not a brand. "We're not looking to franchise or build hundreds of Peachy Keen farms," Andrew explains. "Instead, we want to give communities the tools to create their own versions, adapted to local climate, resources, and needs."
This includes support with system design, hardware manufacturing, knowledge transfer, and even licensing the digital twin models currently being built with academic partners. "Think of it like a kit, with rain collection, power generation, food production, and education all integrated. People can use what we've developed to avoid the pain of starting from scratch," Andrew says.
Acting locally, thinking globally
Ultimately, PeachyKeen hopes to demonstrate that high streets are still relevant, but only if we reimagine what they're for. "It's about turning buildings back into community assets," Andrew says. "You don't need to build new facilities when you've already got the infrastructure, You just need to make it work for today."
And while the project is rooted in Kirkcaldy, the model is intentionally designed to be universal. "We've seen vertical farms in places like Singapore and Italy. We've read about systems in Hong Kong. But the key is making it fit your place and your people," Andrew adds. "That's the difference between copying and adapting."
Looking ahead
As the 5P Project gains momentum, PeachyKeen continues to navigate the complexities of implementation while staying grounded in their mission. "The technology isn't the challenge," Andrew says. "It's the systems around it. Ownership. Access. Policy. If those align, this can take off."
Until then, they'll keep building. One grow tray, one turbine, one high street at a time. "We're leading by example," Andrew concludes. "And if we can inspire others to follow, that's the real win."
For more information:
PeachyKeen
Andrew Bowie, Director
andrew@peachykeen.co.uk
www.peachykeen.co.uk