Online start-up FreshSpoke is a little less than two years old and now it’s moving into southeastern Ontario.
They provide a platform that alleviates the one issue that plagues small producers in the agri-food industry — distribution.
FreshSpoke connects local food producers and buyers together in what they call a “shared delivery system.”
CEO Marcia Woods says one of the big benefits to the wholesalers is they can band together to fill a delivery truck.
“What we do is then share the cost of that delivery for the buyer which makes those products more competitive.”
Sacha Squair and her husband own Three Dog Winery in Prince Edward County.
Squair says the cost savings mean they can geographically expand their market.
“For us, it means greater access to a larger number of restaurants around the province. It reduces our carbon footprint by not having to deliver and solicit to those restaurants.”
Fresh Spoke recently expanded into the United States but has primarily worked out of southwestern Ontario.
The company now has 160 suppliers and 350 buyers in Ontario.