Moleface offers customers chance to trade in vegetables

Owner John Molnar had “Our pub needs your produce” posters made up in the style of the army posters to encourage pub goers to trade in their surplus vegetables.

In exchange for their produce, customers are given food or drink vouchers at the pubs — the Larwood & Voce, the Lord Nelson, the Wollaton and the Royal Oak, all in and around Nottingham.

“It has worked out for us really well this summer and we’ll carry on doing it,” said Molnar. “We have had everything from six-foot leeks, 20kg marrows and brilliant runner beans.

“People grow food as a hobby and don’t eat it all so it works for everybody.”

Molnar said that between the four pubs around £2,000-worth of products had been given in, for a pay out of around £1,000 in food and drink vouchers. Next year two 15-year-old boys have agreed to grow produce specifically for the pubco.

Sheffield pubs the Milestone and Wig & Pen have also begun a bartering service through their websites.

“Supporting local producers is something we have always done to ensure we can continue to create menus using fresh seasonal produce,” said co-director Matt Bigland. “Since the online forms went live on the websites we have seen an increase in interest and we will continue to pursue this project.”

Alan Vaughan, owner of the Countryman Inn, Shipley, West Sussex, has been running a land share operation for around 25 years and now sources nearly 100% of produce from locals. A local farms the land with the pub as his sole customer.

Other locals who have surplus produce also bring it in and exchange it either for other produce that they do not grow or for retail value at the pub.

“We don’t do it to save money,” said Vaughan. “We do it to bring the community together and it has made a huge difference in community spirit and repeat custom.”