Social supermarket reports hundreds of sign-ups

A "social supermarket" offering low cost groceries and budgeting advice says it has had 600 sign-ups in its first year.

The Dartford Larder in Kent opened in July 2025 and operates a subscription model, where members pay £4.50 to visit each week for essential items including unlimited fruit and vegetables.

The facility, on Copperfields Walk, is run by Crossways Community Church, the Healthy Living Centre and Dartford Borough Council.

The church's pastor, Stephen Brindley, said organisers had "achieved what we intended to with the project, which was giving people back dignity".

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that users had welcomed the subscription system as they felt they were "giving something in return for what they were getting".

He said: "When we were a food bank, there were many people who would not come through the door because of the stigma which was attached.

"The supermarket takes a lot of that away because, at the end of the day, it looks and operates as a normal supermarket."

More than 75,000 items have been distributed since the Dartford Larder opened, according to the pastor.

He added: "We're just doing it from our heart and our passion and I think it's had a really, really good impact."

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