Berry Curious? Your Locally Grown FAQs Answered
Seller Questions:
How Does Delivery Work?
Go to the Order Page of the Grower dashboard and you will be able to see your most recent sales. You will be able to see what product has sold and upon clicking on that product, it will have the details of the drop off location (Which is set by the buyer)
Once you have dropped over your order to the farm shop/Bakery/Deli, you will need to click delivered in the order panel so the buyer can get a notification over email to say when they can collect.
Do The Growers Pay Any Fees For Using The Platform?
Yes. We charge a 10% transaction fee on all sales. This is to cover the cost to run the platform and the transaction fees we are charged from our payment solution. We aim to limit the amount of money charged to growers to allow as much money as possible to go to the people keeping this country fed. We will review this fee annually.
How Do I Ensure My Produce Meets Food Safety Standards?
We have created a guide on this here: Handling Your Produce – Locally Grown
How Do I Build A Good Reputation On The Platform?
We would encourage you to be prompt with your response times, ensure you are always committed to quality produce, care and storage as well as good communication at all stages of the sale with the buyer.
Ensuring you harvest the day of the delivery is also a sure way to keep your customers happy?
Can I Sell My Produce From My Allotment?
If you have a council owned allotment, unfortunately you cannot. The allotment act of 1922 stops any business being made on an allotment. However, in the future we are hoping that an increasing usage of this platform will allow us to hold conversations with the government over the allotment act.
Do I need To Register As A (Food) Business
We can only advise on the question but this does not count as the law.
There isn’t a specific law that says you cannot sell your produce from your garden however you may need to register with your local authority. Registration is free and should be done at least 28 days before you decide to start selling your produce.
Even if you are a small time seller, we would recommend this so you comply with the food safety regulations.
Sometimes if you are selling at scale you may need to have a food inspection from the authorities. There is no clear guideline what is defined as “Selling at scale” but that will be for your local authority to confirm.
Here is a link to registration
As the platform grows, our core value as a business is to consistently make fresh, UK grown, fruit and veg available to the general public as well as education around how to grow your own food. To do so, we will need to start maintaining a relationship with the government and local authorities and potentially may open talks at some point, with the above mentioned, to make the process for home growers easier.
I Have Just Made My First Sale, How Do I Get Paid?
Congratulations! Thank you for finding success on our platform!
Once you hit the minimum withdrawal of £25, you can submit a withdrawal request which is paid directly to your bank account. It will be with you in 1-3 working days!
Who Can Sell On The Platform?
Anyone with a garden!
Legally, you are not allowed to sell from your allotment.
If you also rent a property, privately or from the council, you may have to ask for permission.
What If I cannot Fulfill An Order?
As a bare minimum, you need to let the buyer know ASAP.
You will then need to refund the buyer in the orders tab of the Growers Dashboard.
It is important to be considerate to your buyers and let them know of any inconveniences as soon as possible. Everybody understands that sometimes these things happen and we champion fairness on both sides of the sale. As a precaution, we may need to get in touch with you to understand the situation and if possible, help prevent any repeat scenarios!
What Can I Sell On LocallyGrown?
You can sell any fruit or vegetables that can be grown in the UK. We do not allow processed foods, animal products, or imported goods.
Buyer Questions:
How Does Delivery Work?
When you go to purchase a product, it is important that you double check the collection point set by the seller. This will be a local collection point which will be one of the following: A farm shop, a bakery or a deli!
Once the seller has dropped off your order to the collection point, they will mark the order as delivered and that is your sign to go and collect the order! When you arrive please let them know you are here to collect an order from Locally Grown and give them your name.
As a buyer, when you log in to your account, you will be able to see your orders tab which will give you a history of your bought produce.
How Do I Know If The Produce Is Safe?
Growers on our platform must follow UK food safety guidelines and register with their local councils as food businesses. We also provide guidelines and checks to help ensure quality and hygiene standards.
What Payment Methods Are Accepted?
Everything we take is card, including Apple Pay. We do not allow for cash in hand because then there is no accountability. Purchasing through the platform allows a fair system for both buyer and seller if there is ever any complaints over service and quality, we can mediate.
Who Can Buy From The Platform?
Anyone who is local enough for delivery!
In the “Find Your Local Grower” page, you will be able to search based on location!
How Do I Follow My Favourite Growers?
On their profile, you can click on the follow button. You can access your followed growers via your My Account page!
Is There A Minimum Order Amount?
No!
Can I receive a refund for my low quality produce?
Yes! First please message the grower you bought from so they can try and solve the issue. Please make sure you are providing evidence!
All evidence needs to be supplied within an adequate timeframe.
If the issue cannot be resolved at first with the seller then you can reach us via our contact us page and we will listen to ALL complaints and both sides of the transaction before making an informed decision. We will always aim for 100% satisfaction for ALL users of Locally Grown.
Can I contact a Grower outside of the platform to arrange sales directly?
To ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of our community, all transactions should be completed through the platform. This not only supports the growers and the continued development of new features but also ensures a secure and reliable experience for everyone.
By keeping transactions within the platform, you benefit from: Secure payments, reducing risks for both buyers and sellers. Dispute resolution, ensuring any issues are handled fairly and a trusted marketplace, where all users adhere to the same standards.
Attempting to bypass the platform may result in account restrictions or removal. We appreciate your support in keeping this a thriving, transparent and sustainable marketplace for locally sources food.
Can I Request Specific Produce From A Grower?
Yes! We encourage communication through the platform.
Our Growers will constantly rotate the crops they
We also have a subreddit called LocallyGrown where we encourage you to start conversation.
Can I Leave A Review For A Specific Grower?
This feature is in the pipeline for future updates, however whilst we are going through our soft launch, we will not add this feature.
We have a million and one plans to add to the site but we would like to master the current features before releasing new ones!
Keep an eye on our newsletter that you can sign up to across the platform to keep up to date!
Why Are Some Items Unavailable?
As this is a UK only platform, produce is only in stock if it is in season. If something is out of stock, it may be out of season or sold out due to limited harvest.
How do you verify the identity or legitimacy of sellers?
All growers must go through a registration and approval process, which includes identity checks and food business registration confirmation. We also spot-check compliance and respond swiftly to any buyer-reported issues.
What Is A Buyer Protection Fee?
A Buyer Protection Fee is a 10% fee added on to all purchases that adds a layer of insurance to your purchase.
You can shop with peace of mind, knowing that we can refund you if your item:
- Doesn’t arrive
- Arrives damaged
Miscellaneous Questions:
Do You Have Plans To Go Expand In Other Countries?
Yes, absolutely! First we master the platform in the UK, then we trial the platform in other areas of Europe!
How Does The Giving Back Work?
The giving back scheme is us putting some of the profits we make on this platform back into the local communities that are using LocallyGrown.
We haven’t 100% figured out how we are going to run this yet but it is definitely in the pipeline and will be up and running once we move out of our soft launch phase!
You can read more about it here: Giving Back
How Do We Define A "Community" For Donation Purposes?
We define communities based on platform activity, not strict geographic boundaries. A community is any area with consistent buyer and grower engagement. Where there is profit, a portion of that is ring-fenced for local reinvestment.
Is this platform only for individuals, or can organisations use it too?
Both. Individuals can buy or sell produce, and we also support organisations like community farms and schools with gardening programs who wish to sell locally.
Are you funded or backed by anyone?
Currently, we are independently owned and bootstrapped, with support from our community of early growers and influencers. Our goal is to grow sustainably with minimal external influence, while exploring future partnerships that align with our mission.
Can I volunteer or get involved without selling or buying?
Absolutely. We often work with community volunteers for donation logistics, storytelling, food education workshops, or local events. You can contact us via our community outreach page.