Supply Assemblies

The Food Assembly is both an online and offline platform that enables a more efficient and sociable distribution of local food.
By joining you can offer your products directly to a community of local buyers: Food Assemblies.

What services can I make use of?

  1. A fair revenue.

    You decide the price of your products and the minimum orders required for you to deliver.

  2. You manage your own stock and the availability of your products

    The model is flexible around your needs. Each week you can select what is available from your stock to sell.

  3. Each week you know how much you are going to earn

    All orders are placed before the collection.
    You only bring what has been ordered; no unsold stock will be wasted.

  4. Quick payments

    Payments are sent quickly and will be in your account within 15 days of the collection.

  5. Simplified accounting

    Invoices, purchase orders and sales summaries are all automatically updated on the website. You have access to all these accounting documents directly on your personal account.

The Food Assembly brings together the modern side of retail: the online ordering side, plus all the benefits of face-to-face retail. You get lots of feedback and that is very useful. It has helped me to grow and develop my products and reach a larger audience. It also has a warm sense of community about it – like an old-fashioned and much-loved traditional market.

Jane Ladds
Granola Maker (Ashford, Kent)

What services can I make use of?

A platform and a team will be at your disposal to help you expanding your sales, optimise your logistics and support you in developing your own projects:

Personalised online shop

You offer, price and sell your products on our website. Invoices are generated automatically, just like all other accounting documents that make your bookkeeping easier.

Tailored support

Your Assembly Host helps you define and promote your offer. Their knowledge of the preferences and needs of your Members allows you to quickly adapt your offer.

A dedicated customer service

We offer technical and commercial support 7 days a week, from 7am to 10pm. We help you with technical problems, setting up your sales space, maintaining and reviewing quality standards as well as managing payments.

A growing community of local customers

Acting as a local manager, the Host will take care of recruiting new Members and nourishing their loyalty. Supplying an Assembly is taking the opportunity to supply an already existing community of customers that is growing every day.

A Local Showcase

Each Assembly creates buzz: flyers and posters, radio, TV and press coverage all help to spread the word about the model and recruit new Members.

Extended network

You will become part of a bigger network and be able to connect and collaborate with fellow food producers.

Direct contact with the people who enjoy your products

Pre-payment on the website means no financial transactions during the distribution. So you have time to meet your customers and to discuss your products and work and answer their questions.

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This is now the main outlet for selling my organic fruit and vegetables. We only harvest exactly what our customers have ordered. Now we don’t have to eat spinach every meal for a week like we used to if we harvested it for a market and it didn't sell! With The Food Assembly, I'll be able to grow my business in an organic and sustainable way. Lisa Payne
Vegetable grower,
Oakcraft Organics (Chester, Cheshire)

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We love the concept of a new and exciting way to buy and sell produce. The Food Assembly offers a new opportunity to enable healthy local economies by encouraging a more environmentally friendly shopping experience. The web aspect also attracts a wider market and is convenient for producers and customers alike. Toby McKinnel
Wine grower,
Ten Acres Vineyard (Winkleigh, Devon)

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Supply Assemblies

How much does this online sales service cost?

In an Assembly, you sell your products directly to Members without middleman. You will earn 80% of pre-tax turnover. The remaining 20% covers the Assembly Host, Internet service, transaction and technical support costs.

10%

The Assembly Host

For organising the sales and managing the buying community.

10%

The service

More than 50 people working on the development of the website, technical and commercial support to Members, support for Hosts, and good development of the Assembly network.

The online sales system is easy to administrate, and it is a brilliant way for producers to meet and build relationships with their customers and with each other. Our Assembly Host does an excellent job at promoting it – it’s a great initiative.

Huw Rowlands
Cattle farmer,
The Grange Farm (Chester, Cheshire)

What are the requirements for supplying an Assembly?

  1. Be a farmer or foodmaker
  2. Grow or produce your own products
  3. Able to deliver orders and be present during the collections as frequently as possible.
  1. Be transparent and trustworthy with your Assembly Host and Members
  2. Respect The Food Assembly values and sign the Network's Agreement
Supply Assemblies