Title: Grantham Entrepreneur Advocates for Government Support for UK’s Premier Ginger Plantation
Article Body:
Alastair Hawken, a local entrepreneur based in Grantham, is pressing the government to augment support for small businesses. This follows his unique struggles in setting up what he believes to be the UK’s inaugural commercial ginger plantation. Hawken, the creative force behind Hawkens Gingerbread, sought the help of a neighbouring friend to devise a ginger-growing plan after a thwarted funding request. Regardless of the obstacles encountered, he imagines a powerful paradigm shift in the UK’s spice industry.
At present, Hawkens Gingerbread is reliant upon ginger imported from China; a routine Hawken aspires to amend due to its substantial environmental impact. His aim is to farm ginger domestically, recognising the prospective aptness of the UK’s climate for the cultivation of ginger, and other similar spices. After being denied a £50,000 grant from Innovate UK, his neighbour engineered a hydroponic system. This apparatus now encourages the growth of ginger variants zingiber mioga and zingiber officinale, within a polytunnel, arranged for harvest in November.
Attaining financial assistance has been a considerable challenge for Hawken, facing knockbacks including a refusal of bank funding in spite of an enticing contract offer from America. A request on LinkedIn, however, proved fruitful, enabling him to secure £150,000 to cover necessary costs. Hawken criticises the government for their style of oversight, citing the systemic hurdles small and medium-sized businesses must overcome to acquire needed resources.
The difficulties encountered by Hawken, and businesses of a similar nature, were examined on the BBC’s Politics North programme. This included engaging discourse from Olivia Blake, Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, and Wayne Dickson from Leeds City Council. They both concurred on the crucial role of SMEs and the demand for refined financial support infrastructures. In return, a representative for the Department for Business and Trade emphasised the continuous intentions to fortify support for SMEs. The representative further mentioned recent decrees by the chancellor to improve access to finance for businesses.
This story was restructured by The Lincoln Post, based on original reporting available on www.bbc.com.
