Ethical grocer fresh-range has expanded its home delivery service to cover the whole of England, Wales and most of Scotland, offering fresh food sourced with care from producers that have been selected for their ethical credentials.

The award-winning online store enables small scale producers to supply direct to consumers.

To mark the national roll-out, fresh-range has partnered with Farm Wilder to launch the UK’s first range of wildlife-friendly beef and lamb featuring a new labelling method which clearly states the wildlife that those farmers are working to protect.

Tim Martin, founder of Farm Wilder in Dartmoor, added: “Many species of British wildlife are threatened with extinction because we’ve chosen to farm intensively and produce cheap food. If we want to have a countryside bursting with life, it’s absolutely crucial we support the farmers working hard to halt species decline. That’s why we’re partnering with fresh-range, to offer their customers wildlife-friendly meat and a different kind of labelling system that celebrates biodiversity.”

Rich Osborn, founder of fresh-range, said: “fresh-range is on a mission to deliver fresher food sourced with care from suppliers with the highest welfare and environmental standards. We are offering a new way for people to engage with British farmers and source food and drink directly via short and transparent supply chains.”

“The company has experienced greater than 50 per cent growth year-on-year for the last three years, but until now the service has only been available in the west of England. Now we have ambitious plans to offer the same infrastructure across 16 regions, so that customers can trust that their money is supporting sustainable producers who are tackling the climate and ecological crisis.”

The ethical grocer sources directly from producers taking measures to successfully address climate change, restore biodiversity and protect endangered native species such as bees, butterflies, birds and hedgehogs.

Read more: Food standards rally in Westminster calls on Government commitment

Andy Jeffery, of Farrington’s Farm in Somerset, is a supplier.

He said: “We take a sustainable, organic approach to horticulture at Farrington’s Farm. So, it’s great for us to have a partner like fresh-range who wholeheartedly believe in our ethos and provide a market for our produce beyond our own farm gate. We harvest in the early hours of the morning, fresh-range collect and dispatch for delivery to customers just hours later.”

The ethical grocer has committed to reducing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions in supply chains and uses sustainable compostable and recyclable packaging to reduce plastic waste. By sourcing directly from producers and immediately delivering to the customer, fresh-range eliminates the need for retail infrastructure which allows them to reduce customer prices and pay farmers fairly.