New food project launched in Lancaster brings online farmers market to customers

Gather is a pilot project set up to cut out complicated supply chains and bring local producers closer to the customers on their doorsteps.

Developed in response to a feasibility study carried out in 2022 that highlighted a gap in infrastructure, Gather provides an online farmers market where customers can conveniently buy a wide range of products which are all produced or grown locally with nature in mind.

The food hub benefits the producers by taking care of the marketing and distribution and by working collectively, packaging, transport costs and carbon emissions are minimised with further health and environmental wins for everybody.

A growing number of small-scale businesses who produce food sustainably, are selling through Gather.

The product range includes organic fruit and veg, sourdough bread, jams and chutneys, pure honey, locally grazed beef and pork, and raw milk from a cow with calf dairy.

Customers select their produce online on a weekly basis and can choose whether to have their shopping delivered to their door or go to a local community collection point.

Jo Haughton from LESS CIC said: “Gather is supporting the transition to a new food system centred around the local community which supports the viability of small-scale food producers and gives a boost to the local food economy.

"The hub is also about improving quality of life as all the producers are committed to working in harmony with nature to care for the health of our environment as well as ensuring access to healthy, seasonal food.”

The project has been enthusiastically welcomed both by customers and producers.

Hayley Ward, from Wyreside Mushrooms based in Garstang who supply organic mushrooms to Gather, said: “We’re delighted to be part of this supportive network and work with like-minded businesses who all advocate for reducing food miles and a circular economy”.

The Gather team also aims to make local, high-quality food more accessible to people experiencing financial difficulty by providing the opportunity for customers to ‘pay it forward’.

Donations raised in this way allow Lancaster-based charity eggcup, the Gather logistics partner, to procure food from the Gather hub to be included in their low-cost food scheme.

To find out more about Gather and access the shop, visit https://foodfutures.org.uk/gather/

The project is coordinated by LESS (Lancaster District) CIC in partnership with eggcup and is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.