THE best of Britain's speciality food producers have gathered together to promote themselves in a new virtual farmers' market.

FoodUK.com, the brainchild of Herefordshire farmer Richard Vaughan, is home to food companies from cheese specialists in the Welsh Marches to Scottish chocolate makers.

The armchair foodie can visit as many of the featured producers as they like before paying for the goods in one final transaction.

Orders are dispatched directly from the food suppliers.

Traditional meat producer Mr Vaughan set up the site after realising the scope for individual sites was limited.

Despite selling to top restaurants and private customers, "hits" to his site www.pedigreemeats.com were scarce.

"It's an exciting new concept for suppliers of fine produce and internet shoppers alike," said Mr Vaughan, of Ross-on-Wye.

"FoodUK.com is the ideal food market where customers can find everything they want on one outing and where suppliers have a nationwide customer base.

"By becoming members of FoodUK.com, producers can bypass the supermarkets and they can sell directly to the customer.

"The best in the country are gathering under one roof."

Members control their individual web sites and can change or edit the content as often as they like.

"This is a flexible marketing tool at a fraction of the cost of advertising," he added.

"Members benefit from e-commerce and e-mail, the ability to swap information and FoodUK.com's experienced team to answer any queries and to market the name across Britain."

Fourteen categories feature on the home page, including patisserie and bakery and meat, poultry and game.

Bookshops, cookery courses, caterers, farmers' markets, food fairs and festivals, maps and recipes can also be found on the site.

The site is due to be launched at the Ludlow Marches Food & Drink Festival, which takes place on Friday, September 8.