What is BigBarn about?

BigBarn is the UK's no.1 local food website. We help people to find good, safe, accountable food from local sources.

Our mission is to help to rebuild local food supply chains across the UK. Our country produces some of the best food in the world and we want to help it to find the market that it deserves. From Cornish Yarg to Arbroath Smokies, the scene is as rich as it is diverse. But buying local shouldn't be a once-in-a-while thing. It should be for every day. It should be part of the fabric of life again. To achieve that means everyone pulling together to make it happen. So, here's how we do our bit:

We give you the information

We believe that the first thing people need when they decide to buy food locally is information. Unfortunately we are now so dependent on supermarkets, and they in turn so powerful, that it's hard to know where the alternatives are any more. Our map shows you where your alternatives are. Just enter your postcode in our 'Find Your Local Producers' box and we'll show you a map of your area with all your producers listed as icons on it.

You have the power

With that information, you're the one with the power. We don't believe in shopping locally just for the sake of an argument against the supermarkets. A lot of what they do, they do very well. We just believe that the best food comes from local sources, where the consumer has a chance to deal directly with the producer. Where shelf-life and cheapness are not the only priorities. BigBarn aims to become the advocate for consumers and local producers and encourage trade and communication.

A better deal for farmers

We also believe passionately that farmers deserve a better deal. Supermarkets have, for too long, been turning the screw ever tighter on British agriculture. Each of us have the power to reverse that trend. It's all about the day to day decisions we make when it comes to buying food.

Better food, better quality of life

Of course eating local food, in season, is not just about an ethical crusade, it's about enjoying a far superior quality of food and making buying, preparing and eating food an important and enjoyable part of every day life. Anyone who has visited their local farmer's market recently will know what we mean. It's simply a better way of doing things.

How you can help

If we can help, even in a small way, to bring about the changes that we so passionately believe in, then we'll be happy. If you want these changes too, then the best thing you can do, apart from starting to use the information you find on BigBarn, is to register with us. Simply by giving us your email address and your postcode, you're making a massive difference. With that information, we can show producers in your area how many people there are that want to buy their food locally. We show them the demand, they show you the supply. It's that simple.