Our latest news, blogs, ideas, tips and opinion pieces
Molly Scott Cato – OFN Ambassador
We’re thrilled to welcome Molly Scott Cato, former Green Party MEP for the South West, as an OFN Ambassador. She’s always been an advocate of green economics and localism so having her on board is pleasure for us! Here’s her comment on OFN: “We have long known that...
How OFN is evolving to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis
The OFN team is here to support food enterprises online during COVID-19 and beyond. For those setting out on their OFN journey, have a look at our quick start guide and comprehensive user manual. Please contact us with any issues through our support form. Learn...
Support local producers by shopping online!
The Open Food Network helps communities to organise food systems online. We bring together food producers in an online marketplace and help to coordinate distribution such that community-led food projects can thrive! We work with communities across the country -...
Big improvements for shoppers and hubs
This week has been rather an exceptional week in many ways. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty we’ve seen Food Hubs across the country really step up - delivering food for those self-isolating, coordinating supply chain shifts, getting meals to folks that need them....
Helping with Covid-19: all the links for resources and funding opportunities
All over the UK communities are coming together to support people who are self-isolating. They are finding ways to distribute food effectively while maintaining a physical distance from each other. Simultaneously farmers, growers, food businesses, cafes and...
Changes to the way card payments are made
You may be aware that legislative changes have arrived that change the way shoppers make card purchases online. The changes are known as Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). These changes have been implemented to protect customers from fraud when making card...
Voices from our first Community Gathering
Last Wednesday producers, retailers and representatives from community food organisations met in The Friends of the Earth Warehouse, Birmingham, with the OFN UK team. It was a unique opportunity for people, from as far and wide as Cornwall to the Outer Hebrides, to...
We’ve got new funding!
We’re very pleased to announce that Open Food Network UK has been awarded funding from the Big Lottery Community Fund Digital Stream. The BLCF Digital Fund aims to boost the social tech sector in the UK. The fund is supporting charities to use digital to transform...
Want to grow your community food enterprise in 2020? – OFN Group Coaching
In February OFN UK will be launching our next Group Coaching Programme. This programme is perfect for anyone wanting to grow their sales and customers for their community food enterprise. A community food enterprise can be any enterprise that distributes food for...
Join us at the Oxford Real Farming Conference!
Getting produce to customers and managing the distribution, retail and admin stuff is often a real sticking point for food enterprises. So the Open Food Network has been set up by a group of community activists who are passionate about setting up local food systems...
Meet Field Bakery and Mill at Gothelney Farm
Meet Field Bakery and Mill and discover how and why the Open Food Network UK is part of the story behind this pioneering field to fork collaboration.
Sustainable Food Procurement Hubs in Wales
Over the past year, the Open Food Network UK has been working on an innovative pilot scheme to demonstrate the feasibility of supplying local food to the Welsh public plate. Working with partners from Social Farms and Gardens, Cultivate, Development Trust...
From Just in Case towards local food resilience
Following an inspiring presentation at Groundswell 2025, Open Food Network UK's Nick Weir reflects on Professor Tim Lang's Just in Case report and explores OFN's role in strengthening local food resilience.
Connections and inspiration abound at Groundswell 2025
Open Food Network UK looks back at an inspiring Groundswell 2025, featuring the Procurement for Good project, the Wild Venison Network and more.
A trip to Cultivate, Powys as part of the Procurement For Good project
The Procurement For Good project team visited Cultivate in Newtown and other inspiring community food hubs in Powys, celebrating local sustainable food initiatives, new grower schemes, and the future of public sector food procurement. On a sunny Wednesday in April,...
Visit to Better Food Shed with Procurement For Good
Continuing our series of hub visits as part of the Procurement For Good project, in April we travelled to London to visit the Better Food Shed
Flower Grower Collective: Collaboration. Community. Creativity.
We are very pleased that The Flower Grower Collective (FGC) has been awarded funding through the prestigious Farming Innovation Programme.
Visit to Propagate & Galloway Food Hub
At the end of January the Procurement For Good (P4G) project team travelled to Dumfries for the first of four hub visits.
The Open Food Network has been invited to be an ambassador of the EU Proximity and Social Economy Platform
The Open Food Network is now an ambassador for the EU Proximity and Social Economy Platform! Diesis is a global network of social entrepreneurs supporting the development of the social economy, social entrepreneurship and social innovation. The Network aims to...
Manda Scott joins OFN UK as an ambassador
We are very pleased to welcome Manda Scott as an ambassador. This is what she said about the OFN: "You're being the change we need to see. At a core level, we need total systemic change and shifting our food/farming system to something based in co-operation and...