Why buy local?
Buying locally produced food has numerous benefits:
- It helps the local economy by supporting local businesses
- It is better for the environment by reducing the distance that food is transported and increases food security
- Locally produced food is often fresher and healthier and you know where and how your food has been produced.
B&NES Local Food Directory and Big Barn CIC
The B&NES Local Food Directory is developed and managed in partnership with Big Barn CIC and displays local business listings from Big Barn's national website: www.bigbarn.co.uk
Big Barn is the UK's number 1 local food map with over 6,500 business listings and over 100,000 visitors every month. Big Barn promotes producers and independent retailers on post - code specific maps and enables producers to sell direct via the Big Barn home delivery service and online market place.
Local Food Outlets
Farmers' Markets and Country Markets
The first farmers’ market in Britain opened in Bath in 1997. There are now over 300 throughout the country. The following markets operate in the area where you can buy food directly from producers:
Bath Farmers Market Every Saturday 8.30am -1.30pm Green Park Station |
Keynsham 2nd Saturday of each month 9am – 1pm Market Walk, next to the High Street |
Midsomer Norton 1st Saturday of each month 9am – 1pm The Hollies Garden, High Street |
Chew Valley Country Market Every Friday 10:00 – 11:00am The Old School Room, South Parade, Chew Magna |
Veg box schemes and home delivery
Fresh Range: A wide range of local produce including meat, cheese, bread, fruit and veg delivered direct to your door
Somerset Local Food Direct: A wide range of local produce delivering across the West of England
The Community Farm: Organic box scheme delivering to Bristol, Bath and Chew Valley
Dry Arch Growers: Organic vegetable box scheme delivering to Bath and Bathampton
Larkhall Farm Shop: Delivering locally grown fruit and vegetables to Bath and Box
Food Co-ops in Bath and North East Somerset
A food co-op is a simple way of buying fresh fruit, vegetables and wholefoods in your community, direct from a local business. Food co-ops are often run by volunteers from a community venue such as a school, community centre or workplace.
Keynsham
Community@67: Weekly food co-operative operating from Community @ 67 in Keynsham selling local, seasonal fruit and veg at affordable prices.
Keynsham Food CO-OP: A weekly wholefood buying group in Keynsham
Bath
Southside Food CO-OP: Southside Food Co-op offers people in the south & west of Bath an opportunity to buy fresh locally grown produce at affordable prices weekly.
Setting up a new food buying group or Food Assembly
The Food CO-OP toolkit provides information and advice to help communities set up their own food co-ops and buying groups.
Food Assembly is an online platform that brings communities together to buy food direct from local producers. Please visit the Food Assembly website to find out how to set up an Assembly in your community.