Are you looking for a London wholesale supplier of fresh, organic, locally sourced fruit and vegetables?
The Better Food Shed can supply food shops, schools and education services, holiday activities and food programmes, social care services, community kitchens, NHS services and more.
Are you a fruit and veg grower with either organic or demeter (bio-dynamic) certification?
The Better Food Shed can connect you with veg box schemes, shops and local authorities around London.
GC's non-profit wholesale arm, the Better Food Shed, can supply you with local produce grown on organic farms. Every week, from our hub in Barking, we distribute up to 15 tonnes of fresh organic produce, sourced directly from 23 small and medium organic UK farms, many of which are within 70 miles of east London. We supply ethically sourced fruit and veg to food businesses and council services. Launched in 2018, we operate according to the same buying policy and key principles as Growing Communities.
"We are delighted to work with Growing Communities and the Better Food Shed; a fantastic resource for the borough that can supply locally grown, organic produce, and which supports us in the development of food education programmes in schools. With a sustainable business model, they are fantastic example for young people that we are lucky to have on our doorstep."
Lily McSweeney, Food Education Partnership Coordinator, Barking and Dagenham Council
For farmers, we reduce the cost, carbon and hassle of distributing local organic produce in London, providing a hub where you can deliver all your London orders. We help smaller local box schemes and food businesses compete with larger businesses by pooling their orders, thus giving everyone greater buying power.
As a not-for-profit, the Better Food Shed is committed to putting farmers and growers first. We support small businesses to run in an ecologically sound way and to help build a more sustainable food system.
"Thanks Better Food Shed and thanks to all your customers for making my business more sustainable. I hope to grow organic veg for many more years. Every acre farmed organic is a step away from destructive farming practices that are all about quantity and profit for some. Our way of farming and trading is about quality and profit for all!
"The ethos of the Better Food Shed guarantees me and my employees an honest price for our produce. Their wages have gone up and my income has gone up as well. Trading with the Better Food Shed has given me the opportunity to scale some crops up and specialise more on a few crops like whole head lettuce, fennel and celeriac."
Metske van der Laan, who joined the Better Food Shed as a supplier in 2020 (Read more.)
Better Food Shed, 47 Thames Road, Barking, London IG11 0HQ