In these cash-strapped times,
local food producers offer consumers a way to not only save cash but
eat healthier too.  It’s a little known fact that locally produced
food can be cheaper than that available in the supermarket, the problem
is people just don’t know where to look.  Until now.  BigBarn,
the UK’s leading local food website, has just made finding out how everyone
can save by buying local that much easier. 

While
many Farm Shops have signs showing price comparisons with local supermarkets
and others check prices and are confident they are cheaper, consumers
only find out they are saving money when they visit the shop. 
Thanks to BigBarn all this has changed.  BigBarn already puts consumers
in touch with local producers through its popular postcode-generated
map technology and has now introduced a new £ flag to its maps, showing
producers who are cheaper than the local supermarket. 

All people have to do it visit www.bigbarn.co.uk and type in their postcode. 
Over 6,500 producers and retailers have icons on the BigBarn map from
farm shops to Farmers Markets.  Clicking on a producer’s icon
reveals what they offer, ratings and feedback from the public and the
ability to get in touch direct with the producer themselves.  Over
400 of these local producers and retailers have already registered cheaper
products.

How can this be?  The
supermarkets huge buying power does mean they can buy cheap, but the
supply chain costs mean that farmers only get 9p in every £1 spent
on food in a supermarket.  The maths is simple – if the producer
can sell direct for even 50p he will be getting five times as much and
giving the stretched consumer a 50% discount on supermarket prices –
a win-win, for all but the supermarket!  No wonder the new BigBarn
flag is proving so popular!   

Thousands of people have already
recognised the difference and changed to shopping locally every week
for essentials and the supermarket once a month for dry goods. Many
are even making extra savings by avoiding BOGOFs and impulse buys.

“Who’s?
Glass is a fresh, young, environmentally aware glass-making company
that specialises in unique, handcrafted recycled glassware. 
The fundamental ethos
of Who’s? Glass is to make the recycling of a used glass bottle as
environmentally friendly as possible – to transform, what in effect
is discarded domestic
or commercial waste, into contemporary useable glassware products.”
 

Established
in May 2008 and set in the picturesque port town of Bideford North
Devon, Who’s? Glass conveys
the essence and tranquillity of Devon’s rolling windswept moors and
turquoise green seas.  Who’s? Glass is a company committed to
the environment and is proud to offer a
clean alternative to the UK’s polluting glass making industry. 
Since the first bottle was collected, washed and reshaped, Who’s?
Glass has gone from strength to strength as Devon’s first and, at
present, only glass company specialising in recycled bottle
glassware.  And so the journey began….

Who’s?
Glass is made up of three talented
glassmakers, comprising of two generations of experience in this
genuine family
affair.  Lars Anders Persson is a Swedish Master Glassmaker with
over 40 years experience in the glass making industry. Lars has
helped create pieces for companies such as Tiffany & Co., Cartier
and Wedgwood, amongst many others, and has worked for some of the
world’s top glass houses.  Working alongside Lars is his
eldest son Anders, who has over 16 years experience in the glass
industry and is a keen participant in new technical developments in
recycled glass.  The youngest son, Matthew, completes the team. 
Matthew is a multi-award winning glass designer who has
designed ranges for some
of Britain’s top high street stores and last
year won the prestigious ‘Gift Of The Year’ award – made in the
UK category. As a group they are individual,
talented and outstandingly
creative and are committed in their quest to establish Who’s? Glass
as the UK’s leading producer of innovative recycled
glassware products.