The man on a mission to make kale cool

His vision that the textured, curly green, packed with antioxidants, fibre, proteins and essential vitamins, would provide a year-round yield from his 280 acres of land had paid off. He speaks with evangelical zeal about the vegetable, which he has experimented with, tweaked and cross-pollinated to ensure this most versatile of vegetables continues to evolve.

Molyneux Kale is the only UK supplier producing green kale all year round, but Chris’s passion for “growing weird stuff” has also added red, black, cavolo nero and Red Russian varieties to the menu.

Beautiful igloos

As well as the taste Chris is also driven by the stunning pinks, purples, whites and reds that turn his Ormskirk fields into something resembling a flower shop display, so bright, vivid and bouquet-like is the crop.

“Kale is the most beautiful veg. The variegated varieties are stunning to look at colour-wise, but even in winter when it snows it creates little domed igloos in the fields that are beautiful,” says father-of-two Chris.

“But it’s the taste and goodness of kale that sets it apart. Depending on which type you have it can be sweet or peppery. We’ve even mixed one called kalette that comes in little florets and tastes like a cross between kale and sprouts.”

Chris won’t stop experimenting either. By identifying attractive characteristics in naturally growing plants from one year to the next and cross-breeding these with different plants, he is developing new strains of the plant all the time.

The farm’s maritime climate and nutrient-rich soil along with Chris’ know-how, commitment to walking the fields and hand-picking as soon as has taken its course, are all secrets to his success.

‘Rockets and space stuff’

It’s not massively lucrative but he insists: “I have a real desire to feed people good food and it doesn’t come much better than kale. Farming is like taking the value of your house in fivers, throwing it into the wind and hoping it comes back to you with a few pounds extra.

“I was into rockets and space stuff as a kid, but in the end I did an agricultural degree, travelled the world and then came back here. I wanted to feel I was doing something worthwhile and farming is very much that.”

Chris, whose grown-up daughters are big devotees of dad’s produce, waxes lyrical when he’s asked to spotlight the range of dishes kale can elevate. From kale pesto to salad to stir fries, miso soup and even smoothies.

Debate rages on over whether it’s a superfood or not, with purists arguing it loses most of its vitamins when it’s cooked or baked as kale chips. But when it's raw – and it tastes great like that – it has few peers.

“The Beyoncé bounce was amazing and we’ve continued to see the benefit. There aren’t many people in their teens and twenties who don’t know about and love the stuff,” adds Chris. “Demand has peaked and levelled now, but we shipped 1,000 tonnes last year to markets, food service and local supermarkets like Booths.”

From Mull to Brighton

As soon as the textured leaves are cut from the plant, it’s a race against time to prevent wilting, drying out, and loss of colour and vitamins. Chris has installed a cooler that allows him to extract heat to retain moisture content before bagging.

“Our bags end up all over the UK. My daughters have called me from shops as far afield as Mull in Scotland and Brighton on the south coast, so the word is out,” grins Chris.

“We might have needed a bit of help from Beyoncé at first. Perhaps I should send her some merchandise, although it might be a bit late now.”