A NEW food initiative is launching in Wirral promising to supply local food to local people.

The South Wirral Food Assembly is a different type of supermarket experience, aiming to provide convenient access to high quality food whilst local businesses are supported.

The project has been organised by Steve and Adele Hewitt who are keen to shorten the supply chain between the farmer and the customer.

Steve said: “Community is at the heart of The Food Assembly – it connects neighbours to farmers, neighbours to each other, and everyone to their food.

“By choosing to buy local, shoppers can support the community of Wirral & Cheshire, food makers and farmers.

“It ensures your money reaches the right people; food producers keep over 80% of sales for every product sold, compared to 15%-25% through supermarkets.

“There is less food waste as all the food is ordered in advance.”

For every £1 spent through the South Wirral Food Assembly, 90p will stay in the local economy.

The food which will be supplied will have travelled an average distance of less than 15 miles, compared to the 600 miles the food in an average supermarket has travelled.

Steve added: “Each week customers will be able to use their smartphones, tablets or laptops to order from a wide selection of goods and producers.

“They then come to the Food Assembly at the Woodcote House Hotel, Hooton on a Thursday evening to collect everything in one go, meet the producers, see what else is on offer and have a glass of wine or a coffee.

“Customers like it because they can fill their shopping lists in one easy trip rather than travelling to farm shops and markets around the county. Producers love it because they have assured sales and get to meet their customers.”

The South Wirral Food Assembly online marketplace opens Friday, 26th August with the first collection taking place on September 1 from 6.30pm-8pm at the Woodcote House Hotel, on Hooton Road.

Each week the marketplace to order stock will be open from Friday to Tuesday and can be accessed by visiting www.foodassembly.com/en/assemblies/7809