Foodie Marcus Carter
The world wide web is all about opening up new frontiers and new lines of communication. Almost any entity can now be sourced and bought over the internet, be it clothes, music or books. The same goes for food with more and more produce being sold online.
At the moment, this is a market dominated by the cabal of supermarkets with independent producers pushed to the margins. But one man is now striking back. Marcus Carter, of Patchwork Foods, has set up a website to give independent producers the opportunity to market themselves to a worldwide audience. Combining the feel of a farmers’ market you might find on any London street with the interactive feel of virtual community Second Life, the Virtual Farmers’ Market is a new way of sourcing independent produce without leaving your chair.
‘Londoners are fortunate to have farmers’ markets because cities like Manchester and Leeds, despite their dense population, don’t have them,’ Carter says. ‘I genuinely do find Londoners to have a deep interest in food and the production process.’
What are the principles behind the establishment of the Virtual Farmers Market?
‘When you are a food producer working in the independent sector, there are limits to how much your business can grow. You might have an excellent product that people like, but there is only a certain level you can reach without having to go into multiples and diversify into sub-brands.
‘You can try dealing with supermarkets but then you might as well pull your pants down and allow them to do what they like. So what we’re trying to do with the Virtual Farmers Market is to short-circuit the supermarket route and allow independent producers a way of developing their online business.’
A lot of independent producers already have internet businesses. What do they get out of being part of the Virtual Farmers Market?
‘A lot of people who buy from independent producers at farmers’ markets don’t tend to buy food online. They are what I call the “hunter-gatherers”, people who make a point of leaving the house and going down to the market. What I am offering independent producers is a way of getting new business. This comes from people who regularly buy their food online but who might also be interested in the sort of produce they find at farmers’ markets.’
What are your experiences of farmers’ markets?
‘I’ve been working on the Patridges stall on the farmers’ market on Kings Road for three years. On any day I might sell 50 of my patés and that is double what anyone else would sell if they were just minding the stall. The reason why I’d be able to sell more is because people are interested in the story behind the food, that my mother took £9 from the house keeping 28 years ago and set up this business. And that is what you get with the website, the chance to meet the people behind the produce. There are videos explaining how the food gets made and I think that personal touch goes a long way.’
Other than the Kings Road market, what other London farmers’ markets would you recommend?
‘The great thing about farmers’ markets is that there is a real diversity of food producers. There are a wide variety of markets although the ones I’d particularly recommend are around Barnes and Alexandra Palace.’
Why do you think there is such demand for farmers’ markets?
‘I think that nowadays people are much more interested in food and they want to know about how their food has been produced. And the people who run the London farmers’ markets do a great job in being very selective about who gets to sell.’
What are the prospects for growth with the website?
‘We aim to have £5 million in sales within three years. The great thing about the website is that 43 retailers are combined in one place. You’ve got retailers in Cornwall, Norwich, Cumbria, Sussex and other places all able to be contacted.’
Do you think that indpendent producers will ever find a place back on the High Street?
‘The supermarket is dominating the High Street. What I’m trying to do with the website is to develop the online sector for independent producers. At the moment, £4.4 billion is spent on buying food online and that is set to increase to £7 billion. Hopefully the website will help secure money for independent producers that would have been taken by supermarkets.’
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