We are a team of ordinary Northern folk, with a passion for food, not just any old food but quality local and regional food and when not directly involved in the actual food business - we all love eating cooking and discussing good food.

The idea behind Food Local Food was born from Alison Taylor's frustration with small food businesses' inability to compete with large supermarkets. Always a contrary person, not good at accepting the status quo (she could have an argument in an empty room), she could see that this inability to compete was leading to a raw deal for suppliers, which in turn meant that customers were just accepting poor choice and poor quality food in exchange for convenience.

She felt strongly that small businesses should not be forced to grow if they did not want to, but should be supported to reach new markets if they did, and that hankering after what used to be - a wide selection of quality artisan suppliers that consumers used all the time on a local high street - without changing the system in some way, was a waste of time. You can't (nor is it always desirable to) turn back the clock.

So after a year's research she developed the plan based on good logistical planning and bespoke IT solutions that  has enabled www.foodlocalfood.com so that suppliers large and small can work together to be who they are at their best and provide this to the customer in the fairest market place possible, in an environment that celebrates choice, freshness, seasonality and provenance.

Supported 100% by her husband, she set up the company in January 2008 and started to trade in March of that Year. She found a fellow cohort in Suzi Howey, a woman who had the same vision and a passion for Local Food as Alison had, and it is that great partnership between Alison & Suzi that created the company Food Local Food as it is today.

We were delighted that hard work was recognised in a small way by being named Best Business in the Wansbeck Rio Tinto Awards for 2009. Alison Taylor also won best female entrepreneur in the North East at the 2009 Win Awards - for best New Business. The business has been a finalist in the North East Business Awards for best technology and won 1 other technology award.

Food local food is about great team work. Before we introduce you to our staff team below we would like to say thank you to some of that team. Paul Nursaw our business mentor, amazing unfailing support, a fantastic guy. Business Link for funding us at the start, and in Business Links case, staying involved in an active way throughout our first 2 years; RELF for ongoing support, and more recently the Natwest Bank (yes a bank) for believing in our business plan and giving us a substantial EFG Loan.  We would also like to say thank you to our accountants Tait Walker, and a big thank you to Dimasoft our web developers who have had to write most of this site from scratch as many of the systems behind the scenes are bespoke to the company.

Food Local Food is still in its infancy and is less than a ripple in a pond; it does what it's designed to do. Delivering great food, conveniently to the customer at an affordable price, supporting small suppliers and celebrating the best the North East has to offer. Coming soon we will be celebrating the best Yorkshire has to offer to, with the opening of our North Yorkshire Online Store.