‘Cutting edge’ Bridge Farm Group in Spalding is using flowers to invent medicines and healthcare products

Scientists based in one of the area’s major horticultural businesses are working on ‘cutting edge’ research to develop new treatments for health conditions.

The Bridge Farm Group in Spalding is working with universities - and elite athletes - to unlock some of the secrets of plants to discover exciting new medication for conditions such as epilepsy and arthritis.

Already well-known for growing Home Office approved cannabis plants for research, the firm is also looking at using plants for creating new personal care products along with food.

The company - which has recently appointed Andy Higginson as chairman - is already working with Unilever on a pilot project to turn unwanted plants into fragrances.

Bridge Farm Bioscience, which is at the forefront of plant research and development, is now the second of arm of the company alongside the horticultural business - that supplies more than 100 million plants and cut flowers to retailers.

Chief executive David Ball is excited about the future opportunities research holds for his business and the wider district.

He said: “Being from the South Holland area, it is great that we have almost cutting edge research being done here. I think there is great potential for the area when you look at what we produce.

“Where we can, we are looking at working with local companies to develop that side.”

Bridge Farm, which was started by David’s parents Tony and Jayne Ball in 1988, moved into bioscience about six years ago - which proved to be a wise move as more businesses are turning to plant molecules for health and personal care products.

Over the years, the company has invested £10million into this side of the business and has a bioscience facility which is extracting the right molecules.

Mr Ball said: “What we are finding is that most plants have a large amount of useable molecules that are useful and we are researching into different areas.

“Primarily we are looking at consumer or pharmaceutical goods to find those molecules.”

“We try to, where we can, to look at waste streams where we have an abundance of molecules to help with commercial possibilities.”

While plants are well-known for providing fragrances, the team are also working on new skin and hair care products as well as food.

But pharmaceuticals is proving to be an interesting area as Bridge Farm is working with a number of universities, including Loughborough, on reducing inflamation.

The National Arthritis Association is another group the firm is working with.

Bridge Farm is also working on a project which is focusing on new sources or supplies of products to help with epilepsy.

Mr Ball, also a member of Spalding Town Board - which has the task of developing a long-term vision and investment plan for the £20million Levelling Up money which was promised to the area, said: “We are bringing a lot of very talented graduates and PHd students to the area.

“With the cost of living crisis and the cost of housing in other areas, they can afford to buy in Spalding.

“They would to see more happening on the social side of things. With my Spalding town board hat on, we have got to help with that side of things.

“I think the the area does offer a lot of opportunities around cost of living.”

Bioscience is also an area that the new chairman, Andy Higginson, who has previously worked as Executive Director of Tesco and senior independent director at Sky, is keen to work on

Andy, who has previously been a chairman of JD Sports Fashion and British Retail Consortium and Poundland, said: “"Having been involved with Bridge Farm and David since 2017, I’m delighted to be asked to step back in as Chairman,” explained Andy.

“David and I have always enjoyed working together and are looking forward to getting more actively involved, David being ‘hands-on’ as CEO and me in a non-executive capacity as Chairman. We both see the potential to grow the horticultural business, maximising the use of our wonderful facilities at Bridge Farm, Horseshoe Road and Clay Lake in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

“In addition, moving Bridge Farm Bioscience to the next stage of its development, with licensing, regulatory approval and sales, will be hugely important. I look forward to getting to know the team more and working with them to continue to build our industry-leading business.”

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