Hidden in the heartlands of Redhill, City Sprouts is a social enterprise that strives to encourage urban farming in our concrete jungle while building meaningful relationships between communities. At its grounds on Henderson Road – which occupies the former Henderson Primary School – you can find Singapore's first plot-share urban farm, F&B concepts in a repurposed school canteen, a traditional wayang, a compost pile that gives life to food waste and a fitness space currently occupied by MetaBootcamp.
F&B Concept
The heart of City Sprouts is the repurposed canteen, which is now home to five tenants: Pyroast, O-Kome, Dirty Buns, Lok-Kol, Meat & Greet.
The brainchild of Young Tan, Pyroast is a specialty coffee roaster offering locally roasted single origin blends inspired by Singapore’s deep-rooted coffee culture. After all, Young spent his youth learning the trade from his father, an established coffee roaster (Tan Lee Et Food Industry) with more than 30 years of experience. Pyroast offers more than 15 types of single origins and three home blends at affordable prices. Grab yourself a cup of joe – whether it’s a flat white, latte or cappuccino (from $4) or traditional kopi and teh (from $1.50).
The coffee roaster shares a space with four dining establishments. Grab a hearty Japanese rice bowl from O-Kome (from $10), a juicy cheeseburger meal from Dirty Buns (from $11), or tuck into Meat & Greet’s hearty Beef Brisket ($20) or Pulled Lamb Kebab ($17).
Urban Farm
Walking around, you'll find greenhouses owned by both aspiring urban farmers and experienced farming enthusiasts, who can invest in a vegetable plot here and choose what they want to plant with helpful guidance from the community farmers. This element of community is something City Sprouts hope to grow.
Besides urban farming, there are guided tours and workshops for all ages, educational events that promote sustainability and local produce, and also sessions where farmers on the plot get to participate in the harvesting process at the end of the growing season. So not only do you get to walk away with fresh, pesticide-free produce, you might make a friend along the way too.
As the coronavirus situation has shown us, we can't just rely on foreign imports for our food. And while Singapore moves towards its "30 by 30" food production target where we grow 30 percent of our food needs locally by 2030, City Sprouts offers a great way for you to get in on the action. Nurture your green thumbs and cultivate a love for gardening and grow your own food – the environment and your stomach will thank you.