Pretty Local

Pretty Local is Permanently Closed

Pretty Local was launched as an online shop in March 2017 by food lover Andrea Wilson. She explains: “I have always had a love of good food. I have travelled a great deal and my husband is a chef, so we often hunted out good markets and local restaurants on our travels. While living in the USA three years ago, I was bitten by a tick and diagnosed with Lyme disease. During this time, food became even more important to me, as I used it as part of my healing process. On returning home to Malborough in the South Hams 18 months ago, I was still on my food journey and found that although Devon has an abundance of fabulous produce, it wasn’t always convenient to get hold of. So, I came up with the idea of my online shop, Pretty Local!

How does it work?

“It’s as simple as doing a supermarket shop, except that all the produce comes from local businesses or producers, all of whom have their own page on my website, where they can update their produce as the seasons change. I am essentially a delivery service for local produce. Orders can be placed up until midnight on Wednesday, and I deliver to the customer’s door on Friday. This gives the producers all day on Thursday to pick, catch, make or bake for each of the orders,” Andrea continues.

Deliveries are made to Salcombe, Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, Modbury and all the places in between, including East Portlemouth and East Prawle.

How do you decide which products to stock?

“I venture around farmers’ markets, farm shops, look online, and have joined organisations such as Food Drink Devon. I find that people are now contacting me, which is really lovely! I don’t want to have any crossover with the products, so I make sure I’ve found the best before I put it on the site. I also find that it’s the people behind the products that are really important too, and have built great relationships with my suppliers. It’s amazing how much help and support local businesses give each other,” she adds.

Do your suppliers change frequently, or seasonally?

“Only a couple of the suppliers change, such as Quarry Farm, which produces organic venison, so its season is during the winter. Some of the other suppliers change their produce as the seasons change. Martin Berryman sells strawberries and raspberries during the summer, and broccoli and cauliflower during the winter.

Andrea’s suppliers include: Favis of Salcombe (crab); Spindlebrook Farm (hand-grown vegetables); Lidstones Butchers in Plymstock; JB Preserves in Ivybridge; Te Cake Patisserie in Kingsbridge; Wild Food Devon in Dartmouth (local seafood); Sladesdown Farm near Ashburton (free-range chicken and duck); The Bake House in Salcombe (bread); Kingsbridge Wine Room, plus many more. “The website is constantly changing and being updated as I find more producers and businesses to join the team, so it’s always worth checking for new products and exciting offers,” Andrea advises.

Andrea’s hard work is being recognised, having recently won the Dartmouth Food Festival’s Devon Business Start-Up Award. She concludes: “I am thrilled to have been awarded. Being at the Dartmouth Food Festival is such a great opportunity for me to connect with more customers, and find new and exciting suppliers to join the website. As a new business, I am so appreciative of all the help and support I have been offered, I literally couldn’t ask for more.”