In 2020, when One Life's cafés were nearly empty, founder Necip Camcigil and his team decided to experiment with growing their own herbs. They converted an Ikea shelving unit into what they was named the "Harvester 3000." Pipes carried water to small pots, but there were no grow lights. The plants wilted. "We didn't even give them a chance," Camcigil tells SceneNowUAE. They abandoned the contraption, but not the idea.
That early attempt resurfaced in 2023 when Alserkal Avenue invited One Life to open a branch in its arts and culture hub. Camcigil and his long-time collaborator, chef Kelvin Kelly, proposed something new: a café built around an indoor regenerative farm. "The concept felt like a natural next step," Camcigil explains. "We've always believed good food starts with good ingredients. Why not grow some ourselves?"
The Growhouse opened in 2025 with a farm on its mezzanine level, managed in partnership with LetitGRO, a UAE-based sustainable solutions company. The farm uses a controlled system to balance light, moisture and soil quality, all conditions essential for growing in Dubai's climate.
Current harvests include lettuce, sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme. Microgreens are the most productive crop so far: alfalfa, broccoli sprouts, and pea shoots supply salads and sandwiches like their Alfalfa Romeo. Larger crops like eggplants, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes are being tested.
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