Member Article

Yorkshire entrepreneur launches specialist food website to promote independent producers

A Yorkshire-born entrepreneur has set his sights on giving food lovers across the UK a true taste of Yorkshire by combining his love of fine cuisine and passion for technology.

Richard McWhinnie pioneered Yorkshire’s Finest Foods, a specialist website which brings together a specially selected range of gastronomic delights from small independent producers, after realising that few businesses were able to sell directly to the public – instead relying on sales generated from local retailers and trade from local restaurants, with few currently selling online.

Over the past few months Richard scoured the county, sourcing food from a range of independent suppliers. He has secured several exclusive deals in the process bringing together rare and unusual cheeses and chutneys alongside some firm family favourites including Hendersons Relish.

To date Yorkshire’s Finest Food has seen orders placed from almost every part of the UK and he has developed regular customers in Cornwall and even Lancashire!

Richard McWhinnie said:

“Yorkshire is well known for foods such as Yorkshire Puddings, rhubarb and liquorice but the sheer diversity and quality of food available in the region, often from independent suppliers who are driven by their own passion for creating high quality produce is something that’s often overlooked.

“Many independent food producers find themselves in a difficult catch 22, being squeezed on costs by supermarkets and as a result, the quality inevitably suffers. I wanted to create an opportunity that offered a fair deal for Yorkshire’s food, a greater choice and a chance for food lovers to connect directly with the producers. It’s a win-win.

“Food and cooking has always been a passion of mine. When I was younger I remember my parents making a 180 mile round trip to their favourite butcher and coming back with a months’ worth of meat to turn into hearty family meals. That’s where my passion for food comes from but I wanted to create an opportunity to help people access produce which would otherwise have meant a long drive or putting the date of the farmers market in the diary – and in many cases this simply isn’t practical.

“I wanted make it easy for people to access quality produce and get online and more interested in food. Where food originates from is an increasingly important subject in the food industry at the moment and I wanted Yorkshire’s Finest Foods to not only be a place to buy goods, but to meet the suppliers and understand the labour of love that many invest in their goods.

“I love being able to introduce new companies that produce, work and live in Yorkshire to customers around the UK. The Yorkshire food industry is becoming more popular and I am excited to share it with more people.”

To celebrate the official launch of Yorkshire’s Finest Foods, Richard is offering anyone who places an order on the site worth over £35.00 a free bottle of Hendersons relish. For more information, visit: www.yorkshires-finest-foods.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Yorkshire's Finest Foods .