New Lincoln Fresh Local & Wild store celebrates Lincolnshire produce

A brand new foodhall and cafe has opened in central Lincoln, stocking local produce from some of Lincolnshire’s finest independent businesses and talent.

Fresh Local & Wild opened for a soft launch on Wednesday, December 15 to allow for customers to have a look around and see what can be expected of the store when it fully opens at some point in January 2022.

It is situated in the former Gap premises at St Marks Shopping Centre, after the global fashion brand closed its Lincoln store in July this year.

Local produce is sold throughout the store, demonstrating some of Lincolnshire’s finest food products. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The concept of the store is one based around local celebration, giving a range of Lincolnshire businesses and artists a platform to stock their items at a physical store in Lincoln.

There are eco-friendly goods from Forage & Fill, a variety of sauces from Little Flame, concession stands dedicated to local artists, and the coffee served at the cafe is supplied by Seven Districts, as well as sweet treats for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Forage & Fill, an eco-grocery business, have a dedicated section inside the store. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Store supervisor Lisa Murphy told The Lincolnite that the city’s famous connection to local produce, namely with the annual Lincoln Christmas Market, means that there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Fresh Local & Wild.

“We want to bring life back to the downhill area of Lincoln, and bring Lincolnshire back to the High Street, as well as offering a nice place for people to enjoy shopping in the city again.

“There’s so much talent in Lincoln, and we wanted to showcase that and give people a platform to display their brilliant work. We want it to be like Lincoln Christmas Market all year round.”

Artists can display their work at the store and promote their businesses. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Concession stands for the artists. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Each local artist was contacted personally by the store to offer them the chance to bring their work into the store, with Fresh Local & Wild taking a percentage of sales in exchange for free promotion of the artists’ designs.

They all have ‘About Me’ sections on their respective stands, offering a human element to their products, as well as links to social media platforms and websites.

Fantastic art with a personal touch. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Lisa continued: “We thought it was a nice touch to add the ‘About Me’ sections, as it gives customers the chance to get to know the person behind the product.

“Another great incentive that a lot of the artists have introduced is a range of prices, giving children the opportunity to buy gifts for their parents at pocket money prices. We strive to be as child friendly as possible and offer something a little bit different for all ages.”

The cafe serves tasty hot drinks and sweet treats. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Upon its full opening in January, Fresh Local & Wild will use Vines Bakery for daily fresh bread that can be bought in bulk or used in the cafe for light bites if you want somewhere to sit and enjoy some Lincolnshire-based food.

A look at one of the delicious ginger cakes. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The Fresh Local & Wild brand has recently opened another store in Yeovil, and plans to launch more sites across the country across 2022.

| Photo: The Lincolnite

There are also big plans in the works for the Lincoln branch, as a separate room at the back of the store could be used as a free of charge rentable space for events, meetings or an opportunity to just get some peace and quiet if you have some work/studying to do.

| Photo: The Lincolnite

The Lincoln store will be open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. For more information on the company, visit the Fresh Local & Wild website.

| Photo: The Lincolnite