Innovate UK’s Launchpad for Eastern England Success Story: Fairman Knight & Sons

Finding new ways to reduce food waste while creating valuable products is an important challenge for the agri-food sector. Fairman Knight & Sons is addressing that challenge through commercial-scale insect farming. 

The Lincolnshire-based business describes itself as the UK’s first commercial-scale insect farming operation. Its model uses surplus food waste as feedstock and converts it into a range of products, including insect protein, chitin, chitosan, bio-oils and fertiliser or soil enhancer.  

Led by Julian Knight, the business has used Launchpad support to strengthen the commercial foundations of the company and move its model forward. 

Building a low-emission circular model 

The process begins with food waste that can be used as feedstock for insect larvae. Each tray can contain around 75,000 neonates, which increase significantly in size over a 14-day growing cycle. The business says its system can process around 42 tonnes of food waste every nine days.  

This creates a circular model in which surplus food is converted into higher-value products, while reducing the environmental impact associated with waste. 

Fairman Knight & Sons also highlights the importance of its local supply chain. According to the business, 100% of its supply chain is based within around five miles of the operation, helping keep transport miles and its wider environmental footprint low.  

Using Launchpad to strengthen feasibility 

For Julian Knight, the Innovate UK’s Launchpad funding has played an important role in strengthening the business model. He describes the programme as one of the most valuable catalysts for the company because it enabled the team to carry out full feasibility work and benefit from specialist mentoring. 

Julian said: 

“I see the Launchpad as being one of the most valuable catalysts for this business.” 

The structure and rigour of the process also helped give investors greater confidence in the business.  

Building local connections 

Fairman Knight & Sons has also developed strong relationships within Lincolnshire. 

The business has worked with organisations including Boston College and Spalding DWP, and is involved in initiatives such as Disability Confident and the Armed Forces Covenant. 

Julian also identifies UK Food Valley as one of the first major stakeholder relationships the company built after coming to Lincolnshire. 

He said: 

“I would put the Food Valley up there. It’s one of the first major stakeholder relationships we built when we came to Lincolnshire and it’s paid incredible dividends to us.” 

For Fairman Knight & Sons, the Launchpad has helped strengthen feasibility, build investor confidence and connect the business into a wider local innovation ecosystem.