22 November 2007, 19:43 PM
  • A new web-based initiative, that offers online access to some of the UK’s most highly prized produce, has been launched.

Localfoodshop brings together everything from beef farmers to wine producers, organic vegetable suppliers to brewers.

A fair trade company and described as a ‘virtual farmers’ market’, Localfoodshop offers a ‘user friendly’ way to purchase food and other items from local producers. “As more and more people want to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced, services such as farmers and organic markets have become increasingly popular,” said Simon Michaels, Localfoodshop director and co-founder. “Localfoodshop offers the same quality and knowledge of food origin as a market, but via an online service, with access to a wider range of UK based products.”

The service already has over 200 producers signed up and in its first few days of trading received over 200,000 website hits from visitors. “Some producers already have websites and many also directly sell to consumers, but Localfoodshop brings together a wider range of producers for the consumer, at one online location, with a stable and secure infrastructure for online purchasing,” added Mr Michaels.

Lynda Brown of Nuedd Fach Baconry, supplier of award winning quality bacon products, explains why she joined Localfoodshop, “Based in mid Wales we already supply to a vast majority of local businesses and individual customers. As we are quite isolated however, and the population in mid Wales isn’t huge, there have been limitations to business growth.

“Localfoodshop offers an opportunity we haven’t had access to before as even though we have a website, we don’t have an online purchasing facility. Localfoodshop supplies the entire infrastructure for us to be able to sell online and looks after marketing and customer services as well. All we pay is ten pounds per month for the service and we also receive the majority of profit from the sale. Joining Localfoodshop wasn’t a difficult decision to make as we really can’t lose!”

For ten pounds per month producers are provided with an easy to manage ‘virtual shop-front’ where products and prices can be easily kept up to date, discounted courier rates for delivery and packaging costs and prompt payment methods, as well as a full PR and marketing campaign to continually drive new customers to the site. Whilst the site focuses on enabling local trading, marketing will drive sales from right across the UK.
 
“Localfoodshop has been established to enable consumers direct and easy access to a range of locally produced goods. The infrastructure also means farmers and producers can easily sell their goods direct to a wider range of customers, enabling them to build their own customer loyalty, whilst also keeping the majority of profit,” added Mr Michaels

“Localfoodshop combines the principles of a co-operative type producer offering with the very latest in technological advances and efficiency. Online trading has opened up markets for so many industries, farmers and other producers need to now also take full advantage of a wider ecommerce driven market.”
 
The set up of Localfoodshop was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and is supported by a wide range of organisations concerned with creating solutions for sustainable food and farming.

For those who like to know where their produce comes from and are interested in sustaining local farmers.