A Broadgate entrepreneur has launched a veg box scheme designed to bring affordable organic and locally produced food to the people of Preston.
Alina Belousova started Back to Eden in September last year.
With a background in catering, health talks, and cooking demonstrations, Alina decided to use her knowledge and experience to launch the side hustle alongside working at UCLan as a Project Support Assistant.
Although Alina has previously sold her own refined sugar and gluten-free vegan desserts, she decided to focus on organic produce for this new venture.
“Back in my student days, I learned about the importance of organic food and plant-based eating for our health and environment, and was eager to eat more organically,” said Alina.
“But at that time shops didn’t have much organic food available and I resorted to well-known nationwide veg box schemes. However, they were very expensive, travelled long distances and were often not up to standard.
“Having been disappointed in the options available, I decided to start a scheme that would be more local and affordable than popular ones.”
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Back to Eden offers pre-set certified organic fruit and veg boxes starting from £12, plus add-ons like sourdough bread, milk, eggs and more.
Vegetables are sourced from family-run Lyncroft Farm in Aughton in West Lancashire, while the bread comes from The Cherry Blue Bakery in Barton.
Orders are dropped off by the farmer and baker once a fortnight at Alina’s house in Broadgate, and customers are then notified when their box is ready for collection. Delivery to Ashton and Fulwood is available for a small fee.
With a steady customer base, Alina is hoping to overcome challenges and continue growing the service.
She said: “Finding local and organic producers isn’t always easy, so when the opportunity presents itself I want to add more wholesome food items to the scheme.
“I rely on customers to do deliveries, which is more feasible, and they deliver to the areas where they live. This means that the more varied the customer base, the more areas I can cover in the future.
“I hope that the service can eventually cover the whole of Preston. I believe that each city and town should have its own organic veg box scheme, as only then your food can be truly local, nutritious and sustainable.”
To find out more visit the Back to Eden page on the Open Food Network website or contact Alina at backtoedenpreston@gmail.com or 07522 195051.
You can also follow Back to Eden on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the monthly newsletter via SendFox.
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