Elveden’s Reservoir – A Sustainable Answer to Britain’s Dry Spell

As the UK experiences its driest spring in nearly 70 years, with some forecasting a medium risk of summer drought, reliable irrigation is now essential for growers. Garden of Elveden, a key fresh potato supplier to S. Thorogood & Sons, is based on the Elveden Estate on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and home to the UK’s largest lowland farm. The Estate has made a bold and sustainable investment with the construction of their new 500,000 cubic meter water storage reservoir.

Why This Matters

According to the Environment Agency and recent BBC reporting, the UK faced record-low spring rainfall this year. Farmers across the UK are confronting unprecedented stress on their crops due to decreasing water reserves.

Andrew Blenkiron, MD of Elveden Farms says “our additional reservoir will give us the guaranteed continuity of supply of or most valuable resource, ensuring that we can continue to produce root crops of first-rate quality long into the future”.

This new resource is in addition to the existing 700,000 cubic meters of water storage and will assist in protecting the farm at Elveden from the ravages of climate change, which continually challenge crops and the availability of water to grow them. The Estate’s £3m investment is in addition to efforts to replace expensive fossil fuels and reduce the carbon footprint through the instillation of PV panels to power water pumps and run refrigerated potato stores.

Benefits for Our Customers

At S. Thorogood & Sons, working with forward-thinking partners like Garden Of Elveden means:

• Consistent, high-quality produce, regardless of weather vagaries

• A reduced environmental footprint, thanks to smarter water use and investment in solar energy

• Enhanced food security through resilient domestic supply chains

As drought becomes an increasingly frequent threat, these sustainable measures are not merely best practice—they’re vital.