Shop Cotswolds, the online food and drink shopping hub, has been gaining momentum since the launch back in May. The hub is designed to make it easy to buy food and drink produce and experiences made in the Cotswolds region and the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley.
Just two months in and Shop Cotswolds has 35 registered producers on the site, including the Gloucester based Woodchester Valley Vineyard, Shipton Mill, Beau’s Bakehouse, Bennetts Farm Shop and Cotswold Lakes Brew. The founders, Nicola and Caroline, have been talking to many more producers and businesses at events including the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival, the Royal Forest Show and the Cotswold Show.
“We’ve had great feedback and are delighted to announce that we are extending our free annual membership for a few months to come for local food and drink businesses”, says Nicola.
Caroline adds, “Producers are telling us that they like the fact that Shop Cotswolds is locally based and independent combined with an ethos of sustainability and commitment to supporting the region’s economy.”
These values and objectives are shared with many businesses and organisations so working in partnerships and engaging with the community is at the heart of the Shop Cotswolds model. So far, the business has established contacts with Visit West, Visit Wiltshire/Great West Way, Experience Oxfordshire, Worcestershire Food and Drink, Cotswolds AONB, Visit Stroud, Stroud Chamber of Commerce, Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce and Visit Gloucestershire.
However, the real stars of the show are the local food and drink producers who are producing and making fantastic high-quality products many having clear environmental and sustainability benefits. Also, it is great to see that producers of all shapes and sizes are not just looking at an online presence but are also selling at events and festivals or at farm shops, garden centres and through social media platforms.
For further information or to sign up as a producer member on the site, visit www.shopcotswolds.uk
