Shrimp UK
King prawns are not shrimp but they are often treated as equivalent in culinary contexts due to overlapping size, flavor, and usage, and in the UK is an emerging, sustainable industry focused on land-based, indoor aquaculture to reduce reliance on imported products. The UK currently imports around 78,000 tonnes of prawns annually, with 99.9% coming frozen from Southeast Asia and Central America.
In response, several UK-based farms are pioneering closed-loop, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that produce fresh, high-quality prawns locally. FloGro Fresh in Lincolnshire is the UK’s first warm-water king prawn producer, using renewable energy, solar and wind power, and a biomass boiler to maintain optimal water temperatures. Their prawns are fed fishmeal from human food waste.
Another key player is Eden Valley Prawns in Scotland, the UK’s only commercial land-based king prawn farm, operating in a closed system using seawater, feed, and renewable energy. The farm uses waste heat from a nearby anaerobic digester (AD), supporting a circular economy model.
Research from the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project at the University of Exeter suggests that adapting just 20% of the UK’s 2,000+ AD plants for shrimp farming could support 960 production units and harvest 5,520 tonnes of prawns annually—about 25% of current imports—while significantly cutting carbon emissions, water pollution, and food miles.
These systems offer superfresh, traceable, and ethically produced prawns delivered within 24 hours of harvest, with minimal environmental impact. They also support rural economies, improve food security, and align with UK net-zero goals. Despite current small-scale production, the industry is growing rapidly, supported by innovation, investment, and consumer demand for sustainable seafood.
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