People will be able to access their food directly from local farmers and food producers from today following the launch of a new online service.

The Helston Local Food Hub will offer customers a ‘click and collect’ service for their produce every weekend.

It involves traders who had been selling their food at the monthly Helston Farmers’ Market, until this was forced to stop due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The online hub concept hsa been developed by Alastair Cameron, one of the founders of the Helston market.

He said it will enable people to support their favourite farmers’ market producers by buying online and then collecting their orders from The Old Cattle Market every Saturday morning.

Nine of the producers from the market have already signed up, offering more than 150 different products, with more to follow - and there is also the potential for producers from outside the market to take part.

Mr Cameron said: "In the current ‘lockdown’ situation, and whilst the Helston Farmers’ Market is not operating, the proposal is to trial the hub order cycles every week.

"Quality farmers' market food, no fuss."

Customers can order between Monday morning and Thursday each week. The hub then contacts producers with their orders to be delivered to the Old Cattle Market every Saturday morning.

Hub staff and volunteers will pack the orders for customers to collect at a specified time from the market building.

Orders will be limited initially, to ensure supply can meet demand.

The Local Food Hub is supported by the Open Food Network, which provides the ordering platform for similar successful hubs across the country, and volunteers from Helston Climate Action Group are helping support the initiative.

Helston Local Food Hub can be accessed via www.openfoodnetwork.org.uk/helston-local-food-hub/shop

For more information please visit Helston Farmers’ Market website http://helstonfarmersmarket.co.uk or contact Alastair Cameron on helstonlocalfoodhub@gmail.com

Photos attached

Shorter summary for social media:

Introducing Helston Local Food Hub! An online marketplace for local produce, the Food Hub allows you to select fresh Farmers Market items from our online shop. Your order will then be packed and ready to collect from your local Food Hub just a few days later.