A derelict complex of greenhouses in Sheffield is blooming back to life, thanks to the efforts of a local social food enterprise.
Food Works has breathed new life into the former Norton Nurseries site in Graves Park, turning it into a thriving hub for growing fresh produce. Once a bustling facility that supplied bedding plants for Sheffield’s parks, the greenhouses fell into disuse in the mid-1990s due to rising costs and waning demand. Now, after decades of being empty, they are making a comeback in an inspiring community-led transformation.
With nearly half of the UK's vegetables and over 80% of fruit currently imported, Food Works is on a mission to make homegrown food more accessible to the city. The produce grown at Norton Nurseries will not only supply their cafes and community kitchens, but also provide schools and local groups with plants so they can start their own growing projects.
In October, Food Works started preparing the land, and now the glasshouses are rapidly filling up with new life. “It's amazing. We've just done an hour of work and already there are 18 metres of beautiful wa wa ga choi ready to grow and feed people,” said volunteer Beth Cooper, her excitement evident as she described the progress.
For fellow volunteer Jane Tadman, the project is about more than just growing food—it's about unlocking the potential of a long-forgotten space. “I can really see the immense potential this place has got. Our previous sites were so much smaller, but here we can do so much more for the community.”
Food Works' lead growing coordinator, Maddy Starzak, has big hopes for what this new space can achieve. She highlighted that a key barrier for many city residents wanting to grow their own food is a lack of indoor space. “This site changes that. We now have room for people to lay out growing trays, and to cultivate more interesting produce like tomatoes and cucumbers, instead of just using space for propagation.”
Food Works also operates cafes that intercept surplus food, turning it into affordable meals, and their efforts aim to help Sheffield become more food secure. Earlier this year, groups like the NFU and Soil Association raised alarms about the UK's growing reliance on imported food, with a new report revealing that only 17% of the fruit and 55% of the vegetables consumed in the UK are produced domestically.
Food Works CEO, René Meijer, warns that this dependence makes the UK vulnerable. “Global shocks are affecting our shopping baskets. Areas that used to grow food at an industrial scale are increasingly impacted by climate change, which means crops are failing. We've seen the impact with empty shelves in supermarkets. By growing more locally, we can help protect against those shocks.”
The resurrection of these greenhouses marks a significant step forward in Sheffield’s journey towards a more resilient food system. It's a powerful example of how a community can rally together to transform forgotten spaces into thriving hubs that benefit everyone—feeding both bodies and spirits.
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