SHOPPING LOCAL MADE EASY
Posted on Wednesday 22 February 2012
It’s important to support our local shopkeepers and small businesses, but we understand that it’s not always easy to find the time. When life is busy, traipsing from the local farm shop, to your favourite butcher, baker and deli isn’t necessarily an option. But now, thanks to a growing new breed of e-tail sites showcasing the best of local and artisan produce, you can have your (locally baked, organic) cake, and eat it. Here are a few of our favourites bringing the best of British produce to your door.
vfmuk.com…The Virtual Farmers Market does exactly what it says on the box, and features producers from across Britain and Ireland. It’s a one-stop shop for everything from fresh fish and poultry, to hand produced cooking oils and preserves. There’s no minimum order, but delivery costs £6 and is free on orders over £100.
hubbub.co.uk… Some hand-stretched ciabatta from the Italian deli down the road, your veg from the local green grocers, plus some artisan chocolate from the deli round the corner: it’s all in the bag with this new shopping service operating in North and East London. It not only prices their products at exactly what you’d pay for them in the shop, but for just £3.50, they’ll go and buy it for you, before delivering it to your door!
bigbarn.co.uk The award-winning Big Barn is all about reconnecting us with our local producers, giving farmers a better deal, and us fresher, cheaper and accountable food, which means that everyone’s a winner! The diversity of produce is just mouthwatering from Herdwick Hampers from Yew Tree Farm in the Lake District, to Organic veg boxes from Oxfordshire. Not everything is available for nationwide delivery, and other items always have to be collected.
farmison.com offers some of Britain’s finest seasonal ingredients from farms and producers used by Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. There is something for every type of foodie, including the largest selection of native and rare breed meat, and artisan cheeses with adventurous, seasonal twists. Delivers nationwide.
thesuffolkprovidore.co.uk sources the best of East Suffolk’s produce direct from the farmers and artisan producers, then delivers direct to your door. There’s nothing on your shopping list they can’t source, from organic and free-range meat, milk and eggs, to fruit, veg, chutneys, preserves, beer, wine and bread!
Picture: Amy Humphris, Hubbub