FreshSpoke’s online marketplace: connecting buyers & local producers

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

FreshSpoke Facebook PhotoHow can we more efficiently bridge relationships along the local food supply chain in today’s busy, dispersed communities?

Innovative food businesses are on the case.

You might remember a previous blog post where we highlighted ei.ei.eat, a one-stop shop app that was designed to connect users to local food, wherever they might find themselves.

That company has since grown into FreshSpoke, an online marketplace for fresh food, direct from trusted local producers. FreshSpoke’s marketing coordinator, Kaylin Smith, recently got in touch with us for an update since ei.ei.eat.

Streamlining the many searches and resources one otherwise might have to filter through, FreshSpoke puts local food producers on the map (literally), offering buyers easy access to the products they are looking for – with delivery options too. You can order from any shop in the marketplace on your handheld or desktop device.

It all began when Marcia Woods, FreshSpoke’s CEO (and co-creator of ei.ei.eat), discovered a market gap in the supply chain between local food producers and wholesale buyers. Her passion to deliver fresh, quality, local food to the community then fuelled the development of an online platform, which launched in September of 2016: FreshSpoke.

“FreshSpoke is your direct pipeline to fresh quality food from farmers and micro-producers that buyers will come to know and trust,” shares Kaylin. “Our ‘click-pick-deliver’ service is quick, easy, convenient, and did I mention.. free!? We offer the power of choice and convenience in the palm of your hand.”

FreshSpoke currently has 124 producers on board and are in the process of recruiting wholesale buyers through FreshSpoke Fusion events.

FreshSpoke Fusion is an exclusive event for wholesale food buyers in the food service and retail food industry to meet local food producers in a ‘speed dating’ format, while sampling a range of locally-produced food products.

The events offer the opportunity to build new supplier relationships with producers who sell their products in the FreshSpoke marketplace.

An upcoming event, FreshSpoke Fusion for Food Service & Food Retail, is taking place at Speducci Mercatto’s in Toronto on May 29th.

“Check out our Online Platform to see how we’re disrupting the food chain to enhance our local economy,” Kaylin encourages.

You can find them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

FreshSpoke has also just launched a campaign as we approach Local Food Week, Spend10, encouraging people to take the pledge to spend $10 on local food and drink during local food week (June 4-10).