In 2020, when One Life’s cafés had been practically empty, founder Necip Camcigil and his crew determined to experiment with rising their very own herbs. They transformed an Ikea shelving unit into what they was named the “Harvester 3000.” Pipes carried water to small pots, however there have been no develop lights. The crops wilted. “We did not even give them an opportunity,” Camcigil tells SceneNowUAE. They deserted the contraption, however not the concept.
That early try resurfaced in 2023 when Alserkal Avenue invited One Life to open a department in its arts and tradition hub. Camcigil and his long-time collaborator, chef Kelvin Kelly, proposed one thing new: a café constructed round an indoor regenerative farm. “The idea felt like a pure subsequent step,” Camcigil explains. “We have all the time believed good meals begins with good components. Why not develop some ourselves?”
The Growhouse opened in 2025 with a farm on its mezzanine degree, managed in partnership with LetitGRO, a UAE-based sustainable options firm. The farm makes use of a managed system to steadiness gentle, moisture and soil high quality, all situations important for rising in Dubai’s local weather.
Present harvests embody lettuce, sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme. Microgreens are the most efficient crop up to now: alfalfa, broccoli sprouts, and pea shoots provide salads and sandwiches like their Alfalfa Romeo. Bigger crops like eggplants, cherry tomatoes and candy potatoes are being examined.
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