The Open Food Network is not only a great way to get local food to local people. It is also the only open source online food distribution system.
Mary ClearIncredible Edible Todmorden
A highly adaptable online shopfront + more
What is the Open Food Network?
The Open Food Network (OFN) UK is made up of a community of independent producers, retailers and distributors, dedicated to building a stronger, fairer food system in the UK
What we do
The Open Food Network is a growing network of small to medium and community food enterprise across the UK. We believe that by working together, sharing skills, ideas and resources, we can provide good, nutritious, affordable food to everyone. Food is the ultimate connector. Through food, together we can create real change and Food Sovereignty!
To achieve this, OFN UK develops and hosts a comprehensive online toolset for local food. You can customise your own online shopfront (hosted on our secure servers), flexibly take orders, make deliveries, collect payments, connect with producers, distributors and other shopfronts, grow customers, share ideas and develop your enterprise. As a network we decide the features we want, and we develop them in collaboration with the OFN instances around the world.
Why we’re different
Flexible Pricing Model. After a six month free trial we ask for as low as £1 per month. As your business grows using OFN we’ll ask you to increase your contributions so that we can help more local food enterprises to grow across the country.
We’re a platform cooperative – building tools on the internet collectively for people, not privately for profit. We’re 100% not-for-profit.
The software we run is open source and developed by an international community of committed tech food activists.
We’re rooted in the movements for social change
Designed by and for food producers & sellers
Join the network now– it’s quick and easy, and we’re here to help.
What's included
OFN Features
Our growing global community are adding new features all the time
Most of our food is sold through a handful a supermarket chains that operate the same business model, a centralised model that aggregates all products under one roof. Can decentralised …
Using software and technology to pioneer ideas in building networks, cooperatives and community driven food enterprise, the Open Food Network is growing as an international community. An international community fundamentally …
George Monbiot says “For years I have been writing about the need for a fairer, more sustainable food distribution system. It appears that we now have it. The online, open …
Any initiative that fosters local food economies, and makes it easier for us all to buy low-impact, seasonal ingredients, gets my vote. I think the OFN is a very exciting project, offering a positive, sustainable alternative to the prevailing food culture, and helping to put control of distribution back where it should be – with growers, producers and consumers.
Reuben ChestersLocavore Founder
I am very pleased to be part of the growing Open Food Network. It is exciting to see so many new producers registering on the Network across the country and then to see the links being set up between these producers and shops like mine as well as various types of markets, food hubs and food co-ops – all making use of the same online system to build distribution and retail networks that would never have happened without OFN.
Ashley WheelerTrill Farm
I really like the way OFN works and it seems that our customers find it easy to use too.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Reuben Chesters
Ashley Wheeler
