A Grantham entrepreneur is calling for the government to overhaul support for small businesses after "struggling for years" to create "the country's first commercial ginger plantation". Alastair Hawken, the founder of Hawkens Gingerbread, said he had to turn to a neighbour to build a system of growing ginger after he was refused funding.
"The potential is to totally revolutionise the spice industry, but I can't tell you the amount of times I've almost given up," he added. A spokesman for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it was "determined to back businesses".
He applied for a £50,000 grant from the Innovate UK fund to plant a test crop, but was turned down "with no feedback, which I think is deplorable". His neighbour voluntarily built a hydroponic system, which involves growing plants without soil by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions. The system is now being used to grow two varieties of ginger – zingiber mioga and zingiber officinale – in a polytunnel. It will be harvested in November.
Mr Hawken said he was also turned down for bank funding after being offered a large contract with an American customer. In the end he managed to source £150,000 to buy the ingredients, packaging and staff wages after putting out a post on LinkedIn "as a desperate measure".
Read more at BBC