Independent online retailer Bearfaced Groceries has gone national with a service that promises to provide food that is fresher than supermarkets sell.
The privately funded service, which also sells nutritional supplements and kids products, such as nappies, is now available throughout Great Britain following last year’s launch in the North West.
The retailer, which has a 10,000 sq ft depot in Trafford Park, Manchester, supplies about 1,000 items, including weekly meal boxes and fruit & vegetable boxes.
The site works on a three-day turnaround supplying ‘real food made by real people’ - fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and alcohol on a buy-to-order strategy - hence its ability to work from a small depot.
Bearfaced Groceries packages orders on the same day they arrive from the various producers for dispatch to customers, rather than sitting on supermarket shelves or storage depots.
“We’re providing fresh, restaurant-quality ingredients to time-poor, nutrient-craving food lovers who are fed up with the status quo,” said MD Philip Edge.
“Currently, no supermarket can meet our freshness or delivery offering so we want to offer them support in following a healthy, balanced diet.”
Edge claimed the “innovative” delivery system and carefully selected supplier network were challenging the supermarkets’ “outdated” model to eliminate wastage and deliver transparent pricing backed by clear quality.
“Our offering is simple - customers order, we collect groceries from the suppliers and it’s delivered to their doors within three days.”
The 13 suppliers it is currently working with include Sharrocks, Preston for vegetables; Joseph Heler, Crewe for cheese; Squirrel Sisters, London for vegan energy bars; Braehead Foods for charcuterie and artisan Scottish products; and Hammonds of Knutsford for wines and spirits.
Delivery is free for orders of more than £75, otherwise a charge of £4.95 is levied. No minimum order is required.
“People want food more frequently than the traditional weekly shop these days and Bearfaced was able to offer us fantastic exposure to ride the change in this market,” said Braehead Foods chief executive Craig Stevenson.
Bearfaced Groceries says the company can grow “significantly” on a very small footprint because stock is not on site for more than a few hours before delivery.
The company has signed former Liberty X star Michelle Heaton and medicinal chef Dave Pinnock for a series of videos, introducing shoppers to the brand and showing them how to make meals using produce from the site. Pinnock has created a 28-day healthy eating plan.
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