A scheme offering people the opportunity to order fresh, local produce online and collect it from their local pub is aiming to challenge major supermarkets.

FarmDrop, which has been in operation for a year, claims to be the first service in the UK allowing people to order produce online straight from farmers in the surrounding area.

One of the largest FarmDrops in the country and the first to be established in London is in Walthamstow, with 100 clients collecting their orders four days a week from The Chequers pub in High Street.

For producers to join the Walthamstow group they have to be within a 100 mile radius of London.

Woodford & Warner founded by Sarah Moore when she lived in Warner Road, Walthamstow sells her homemade Sorrell products, an antioxidant drink made from a flower native to Trinidad, through the company.

Ben Patten, owner of FarmDrop, said he has learnt a lot in the past year.

He said: "It is strange being open for a full year. We have had go through a whole range of seasonal crops and winter is tough but now it is the summer there will be lots of varieties of produce coming in.

“We don’t want it to be elitist, we are genuinely going for accessibility and want to challenge major supermarkets.

“We found that supermarkets waste a lot of money on packaging, advertising and transporting their produce. That system makes no sense.

"We hope our customers are willing to sacrifice convenience or range because of the quality of produce.

“There is no waste here all our produce is harvested to order.

"We don't expect a revolution overnight but more people are getting into the simple idea of buying direct from producers."

Producers for FarmDrop Walthamstow supply customers with goods including fruit and veg, cheeses and organic meats.

Lucia Maset, 25, of Walthamstow High Street, has been using the service for six months.

She said: "The food is fresh, natural and tasty. I’m not even thinking about the benefits to the producer I just like things handmade with love, especially the pasta."