12 Apr, 2024
At Gringos Mexican Smokehouse, we’ve always believed that great food starts with great ingredients. While we’ve long prioritized quality sourcing, we’re thrilled to announce a new initiative that takes our commitment to freshness, sustainability, and community support to the next level: our partnership with three pioneering urban farms right here in London.
Urban farming might sound like a contradiction in terms—after all, cities aren’t exactly known for their agricultural spaces. But innovative farmers are transforming London’s unused spaces—from rooftops to formerly vacant lots—into productive growing areas that provide fresh produce while reducing food miles and creating green spaces in our concrete jungle.
These farms represent the future of sustainable urban food systems, and we’re proud to be among the first restaurants in London to form direct partnerships that benefit our diners, our community, and our planet.
Our urban farm initiative involves three remarkable local operations, each with its own specialty:
Perched atop a repurposed industrial building in Hackney, Skyline Greens specializes in leafy greens, microgreens, and edible flowers. Their hydroponic system uses 95% less water than conventional farming while producing intensely flavored salad greens year-round.
“Most restaurants get their greens from farms hundreds of miles away,” explains Skyline founder James Thompson. “By the time they arrive, they’ve lost flavor and nutrients. Our greens go from harvest to Gringos’ kitchen in under two hours.”
We’re particularly excited about their Mexican herb program, where they’re growing hard-to-find varieties of Mexican oregano, epazote, papalo, and hoja santa that add authentic flavor dimensions to our dishes.
Located on a formerly vacant lot in Lewisham, Root City Farm specializes in root vegetables, chilies, and tomatoes. Their regenerative growing practices have transformed depleted urban soil into a thriving ecosystem.
“We’re proving that urban lands can be productive and sustainable,” says Maria Jones, Root City’s head farmer. “Our chili program for Gringos has been especially rewarding—we’re now growing eight varieties of Mexican chilies that simply weren’t available fresh in London before.”
These chilies have revolutionized our salsa program, allowing us to create truly authentic flavors that previously required imported dried chilies. The environmental impact is significant too—reducing air freight for these ingredients has dramatically lowered our carbon footprint.
This community-based organization operates several small growing spaces across North London, specializing in seasonal vegetables and fruits. What makes their operation special is their training program for new urban farmers, many from underrepresented communities.
“Our partnership with Gringos isn’t just about providing vegetables,” explains Director Sarah Chen. “It’s about creating sustainable livelihoods and teaching valuable skills while connecting restaurants directly with growers.”
From this partner, we source seasonal vegetables that change throughout the year, challenging our chefs to create specials that highlight the best of what’s available each week.
Unlike conventional restaurant supply chains with multiple middlemen, our urban farm partnerships operate on a direct model:
This direct relationship allows us to request specific varieties grown to our specifications. For example, Skyline Greens is now growing four type
