Recession hit Brits look to garden sheds for savings

More and more Brits have turned to their garden sheds to save money during the economic instability of the previous couple of years.

While that may sound like the sort of unorthodox financial planning more commonly associated with investment bankers and hedge fund managers, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed that increasing numbers of people are saving money on their food bills by growing their own vegetables.

In the course of the past three years more than 750,000 people have contacted the RHS requesting information on how to grow their own produce.

Bob Sweet, head of shows development for the RHS, said: "It looks like more food will be grown by people for their own consumption this year than there has been for perhaps a generation."

"There's been huge interest in growing your own and it shows no sign of waning."

High profile campaigns from the likes of celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have helped to get people back into their garden sheds.

The chef has started a land share scheme whereby people with spare land allow others to cultivate vegetables or raise livestock on it in exchange for a slice of the produce.