As any self-respecting gastronome knows, locally sourced produce is the eating trend of the moment. But navigating country lanes in pursuit of farm shops, or waiting a fortnight for the farmers’ market to roll into town, is not a practical way for many people to buy their groceries.

Which is why one fifth-generation farmer from Bedfordshire has created a “virtual farmers’ market”, which links hundreds of local producers together and allows them to sell directly to the customer online.

From next month small producers across Britain will start displaying their wares on localfoodshop.com, the brainchild of Anthony Davison. They will be charged a £10 monthly subscription fee and keep 93 per cent of whatever they make — far more than even the best-paid supermarket suppliers.

“Offline, the difference between a trip to a Tesco store and the small farm shop down a lane in the country can be pretty significant,” said Mr Davison, who claims that more than 350 local producers have already expressed an interest in the site. “But online, this difference can be one small click.”

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BACKGROUND

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Consumers will be able to search by postcode for suppliers in their region, and producers based close to each other will be encouraged to team up. They will also be able to combine deliveries to save on costs and food miles.

Ed Haigh, who is setting up the site with Mr Davison, said that it would feature the smallest producers who were making a couple of kinds of sausage to large suppliers with a range of goods to sell. “People are more interested in food sourcing now and there are new places like the Whole Foods store in London, which compared with supermarkets are wonderful but the supplier is still quite distant,” he said. “This is about going direct, but local food supply chains have broken down to such an extent that people don’t know where to go. We are the bridge.”

The co-operative is hoping to capitalise on the latest Western obsession with food miles, which has had consumers trying to minimise the distance their food has to travel before reaching the plate.

For Jonathan Curtoys, whose farm is found at the bottom of a winding lane on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, the website provides an important new market for his sloe gin. “About half of our sales come from food shows and farmers’ markets, and the other half from delis and speciality shops — and most of those are in Yorkshire,” he said. “We’re at the stage where we need big markets, so selling Sloe Motion online is very significant.”

Localfoodshop.com claims to be different because it is “taking on” the supermarkets. “There is a huge range of exciting produce which never makes the shops,” Mr Haigh said. The website, which has funding from the Welsh Assembly, has been welcomed by the National Farmers’ Union as a means of making “high-quality local produce” more accessible.

Robin Maynard, of the Soil Association, said that localfoodshop.com was a way of ensuring that the small farm “brand” stayed with farmers rather than big supermarkerts.

Online groceries is a booming business. The industry is worth more than £1.6 billion — a figure analysts expect will double by 2011.

Local alternative

bigbarn.co.uk A comparison website that allows consumers to find their local producers and to rate them

natoora.co.uk A new website selling quality French and British food directly from the producer. Delivery costs £5 in London and £10 for the rest of the UK

whyorganic.org A directory of organic producers provided by the Soil Association

organicdelivery.co.uk Online service delivering organic products – from vitamins to breakfast cereals – to 80% of London every day. Delivery is free for orders of £13.95 and above, and next day delivery is available

soorganic.com Offers dozens of own-brand organic toiletries and cosmetics

To find a local organic box visit Times Online's Real Food

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