A YORK graduate has combined a love of food and technology to create his new online venture.

Richard McWhinnie pioneered Yorkshire’s Finest Foods, a website bringing together a special range of food from independent producers, after realising that few businesses were able to sell directly to the public, and instead had to rely on sales generated from local retailers and trade from local restaurants.

Over the past few months Mr McWhinnie, who studied at the University of York, scoured the county, sourcing food from a range of independent suppliers.

To date Yorkshire’s Finest Food has seen orders placed from almost every part of the UK and he has developed a regular customer base.

Mr McWhinnie said: “Yorkshire is well known for foods such as Yorkshire Puddings, rhubarb and liquorice but the sheer diversity and quality of food available in the region, often from independent suppliers, is something that’s often overlooked.

“Many independent food producers find themselves in a difficult catch 22, being squeezed on costs by supermarkets and as a result, the quality inevitably suffers.

“I wanted to create an opportunity that offered a fair deal for Yorkshire’s food, a greater choice and a chance for food lovers to connect directly with the producers. It’s a win-win.

“Where food originates from is an increasingly important subject in the industry and I wanted Yorkshire’s Finest Foods to not only be a place to buy goods, but to meet the suppliers and understand the labour of love that many invest in their goods.”