ONE of the nation’s “biggest and most innovative” online food hubs is set to double its operation.

Expansion plans for the Dean Forest Food Hub will see at least a dozen more towns and villages included in delivery runs of food from local farmers and producers.

The online farmers market run by the not for profit organisation allows people to buy from local producers and small retailers at affordable prices, with confidence in the quality of what they buy.

They can also do so knowing that most of what they pay goes directly to the

people who produced the food.

And having acquired a new van ahead of increasing their deliveries from one day a week to two, the hub is looking for people to help the operation grow, either as a customer, a producer or a new village pick-up point.

Spokeswoman, Judith Williams, said: “There are a few other food hubs around the country, but the Dean Forest Food Hub is nationally recognised as one of the biggest and most innovative.

“Using a grant from the European Fund for Rural Development they have recently purchased their own van and commissioned new software for their online ordering system.”

The hub began five years ago with a £500 loan from friends and has grown steadily to an annual turnover of more than £65,000.

It distributes a huge range of local produce including meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables, eggs, preserves, and baked goods to pick-up points in 11 towns and villages across the Forest.

But as Judith explained: “There are still a lot of villages we cannot manage to fit in on our once-a-week delivery round and, because we have had to set a maximum of 50 customers per week, which is the most we can pack in a morning, we regularly have to turn customers away.”

At the moment they deliver to Longhope, Ruardean, Cinderford, Coleford, Coalway, Blakeney, Brains Green, Newnham, Yorkley, Bream and St Briavels.

The expansion plans involve a second delivery day and should extend their reach to many more towns and villages around the Forest.

Anyone interested in getting involved cancontact them on [email protected] or via www.deanforestfoodhub.org.uk or www.facebook.com/pg/DeanForestFoodHub