From Greenland to the Falkland Islands, an invention dreamed up in Shetland helps gardeners in the windiest of places grow a surprising array of crops. Welcome to the Polycrub story.
This is the story of a successful business, but Polycrub wasn’t born in a boardroom or dreamed up in a business plan.
These tough, semi-cylindrical greenhouses—built from durable polycarbonate and repurposed aquaculture piping—were created for one purpose: to help the community of Northmavine, at the northern tip of the Shetland Mainland, grow their own food.
Back in 2007, the Northmavine Community Development Company (NCDC) wanted to reduce food miles and boost local resilience. Part of that was an ambition to 'grow their own'.
However, they found it impossible to source a polytunnel or greenhouse that would withstand the wild, Shetland weather, so they rolled up their sleeves and developed their own. With support from the Scottish Climate Challenge Fund, they built 12 super-strong growing structures for the community – ingeniously designed to withstand 120mph winds.
We started getting enquiries from all over Shetland – and even from visitors to Shetland who wanted one back home.
“That was supposed to be that,” says Maree Hay, who was part of the original team and is now Polycrub’s Managing Director. “But people loved the design.
"We started getting enquiries from all over Shetland – and even from visitors to Shetland who wanted one back home.”
And so began a remarkable story of a business, nestled in the heart of the community it originally set out to serve.
What began as a local sustainability project quickly grew into something much bigger. With a new name, a trademark, and a range of sizes and layouts, Polycrub became a business, but this was, and remains, a business with a difference.
Profits are reinvested into the community, supporting projects like the Bruckland SCRAN recycling centre.
Today, Polycrubs are a familiar sight across Shetland and Orkney. Their reputation for strength and sustainability has spread far beyond the islands.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of these sturdy structures installed across the UK mainland – especially in places where the weather is less than gentle.
You’ll even find Polycrubs in places like the Falkland Islands, France, Norway, and Greenland, helping people cultivate crops in what would otherwise be desperately tough growing conditions.
Such is the growth in popularity of Polycrubs, and to bring them closer to customers, and reduce delivery miles, the company has set up distribution hubs in Inverness, the Isle of Lewis, and Cheshire.
The Polycrub company now employs five people in Northmavine, and helps fund five more roles at NCDC - the Northmavine Community Development Company. That support allows the organisation to continue its community development work and make a difference in Northmavine —something it’s been doing for over 20 years.
From a windswept corner of Shetland to gardens and growing spaces around the world, Polycrub is proof of what can happen when community, creativity and climate action come together.
Have you got a business idea that could grow like Polycrub? Discover why Shetland is a great place to invest.