Local Food Direct has been going for several years now and while our customer base has grown hugely in this time thanks to the support of people throughout Norfolk & Suffolk, it is still hard to convince some people to spend less at the supermarket and more locally.

One of the things that our customers are most impressed with when they buy fresh local fruit and veg from us, is how long it keeps for compared to the same products bought from a supermarket. This is because our produce only has to travel a few miles compared to how far tomatoes from Spain or lettuce from Italy travels. All the while it is travelling, it is losing freshness and quality.

Some people think that the supermarket is just too convenient to give up, many people are only ever about 20 minutes away from one – especially considering there are at least 10 of one certain supermarket within a 20 mile radius of Norwich city centre alone! But think about where your money is going. It’s paying for the delivery of the goods from countries hundred of miles away, it’s lining the pockets of several supermarket CEOs and it’s paying for the fancy packaging among many other things.

When you buy from local direct, your money goes straight to the farmers and producers and because we’re a social enterprise, any profit we make goes straight back into improving the service.

And as for the convenience side of things, what’s easier than inputting your order online in one place, then waiting for it to be delivered to your door?

While it can seem a culture shock for some, changing from being able to get strawberries all year round to only being available when their in season for example, we always have an ever-changing array of fresh, local produce that’s at its best. If you’re ever stuck for recipes or what to do with the vegetables we have in season at any time, the internet is a great source for tasty recipes.

And it’s not just turnips, potatoes and tomatoes we sell – we have a fantastic range of cakes, chocolates, fudge, wines and beers and much more!

So why not try buying local this week? Some of our best in-season produce at the moment includes asparagus, salad leaves, new potatoes and spring lamb.