Fischer Farms recently launched its New Eden-branded leaf range on Ocado, which gives the company national exposure through a single online retail channel, while concentrating early retail activity into a controlled distribution environment.
The launch includes three bagged salad SKUs: burger lettuce, mixed leaf salad, and pea shoots. "This launch represents the first major commercial listing for our new consumer leaf brand," says Jon Cummings, Commercial Director at Fischer Farms. "It gives us immediate national reach and puts New Eden directly in front of consumers."
Retail as a test environment, not a rollout 
© Fischer Farms
Fischer Farms frames the Ocado listing as a progression from existing operations rather than a strategic pivot. While the company has supplied the UK foodservice sector for several years, consumer retail introduces different constraints around packaging formats, shelf life expectations, and rate of sale.
"The launch represents a significant milestone for us as we bring our vertically farmed produce to market under a dedicated consumer brand for the first time," Cummings says. "Building on our track record supplying the foodservice sector, the Ocado listing demonstrates our ability to translate that operational experience into consistent, year-round retail supply."
Jon Cummings (right)
The emphasis on translation is material. Foodservice supply allows for greater flexibility in volume and specification, while retail requires tighter alignment between production planning, packaging, logistics, and consumer behaviour. "Our partnership with Ocado provides an important proof point for the brand," Cummings says. "It allows us to build consumer awareness, gather real-world insight on demand and performance, and showcase how vertically farmed produce performs under retail conditions at scale."
Conservative crops signal execution focus
The decision to lead with burger lettuce, mixed leaf, and pea shoots reflects a preference for stability over experimentation. These categories are widely understood by UK consumers and typically carry lower volatility in both demand and production compared to more niche leafy crops.
Fischer Farms has anchored the brand around everyday use, highlighting cleanliness, speed from harvest to packing, and shelf life as core attributes. "By growing indoors in perfect conditions, we're able to offer consistent quality, clean leaves and strong flavour," Cummings says. "At the same time, we're reducing the resources needed to grow them."
The produce is grown, picked, and packed in the UK, allowing Fischer Farms to position the range around freshness and domestic supply rather than differentiation through novelty or exclusivity.
© Fischer Farms
Why brand, and why now
"New Eden was introduced at a point where our vertical farming operations have reached the scale, consistency and maturity to support a branded retail offer," Cummings says. "A branded range enables us to tell our story in a way that private label cannot, from how and where the produce is grown to the environmental benefits of indoor farming."
The company stresses that branded retail is intended to complement, not replace, existing commercial channels. "This is complementary to our existing foodservice and private label activity," Cummings adds. "While we continue to supply foodservice customers across the UK, New Eden allows us to build brand equity and gather direct consumer insight."
How success will be measured
Internally, Fischer Farms says the performance of New Eden will be assessed using retail metrics rather than brand visibility alone. "From a commercial perspective, success over the next 12 months will be judged across distribution, performance, brand equity, and portfolio growth," Cummings says.
Distribution and rate of sale will be early indicators, but not the only ones. "Securing new listings, expanding distribution points, and driving rate of sale will be key," he says. "But strong trial and repeat purchase will be critical. We'll be closely monitoring whether consumers come back to the range, not just whether they try it once."
Brand recognition is positioned as a longer-term outcome rather than an immediate objective. "We will assess whether New Eden is being recognised as a credible British grower brand by both customers and consumers," Cummings says. "Building that association will be central to supporting future growth."
For more information:
Fischer Farms
Jon Cummings, Commercial Director
[email protected]
www.fischerfarms.co.uk
