Social supermarket reports hundreds of sign-ups
Dartford Larder members pay £4.50 each week for items including unlimited fruit and vegetables.
Social supermarket says hundreds have signed up
Pastor Stephen Brindley said the project was "giving people back dignity"
A "social supermarket" that provides low-cost groceries and budgeting advice says 600 people have signed up during its first year.
The Dartford Larder in Kent opened in July 2025 and runs on a subscription basis, with members paying £4.50 to visit each week for essential items, including unlimited fruit and vegetables.
The site, on Copperfields Walk, is operated by Crossways Community Church, the Healthy Living Centre and Dartford Borough Council.
Church pastor Stephen Brindley said organisers had "achieved what we intended to with the project, which was giving people back dignity".
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that users had welcomed the subscription arrangement because they felt they were "giving something in return for what they were getting".
He said: "When we were a food bank, there were many people who would not come through the door because of the stigma which was attached.
"The supermarket takes a lot of that away because, at the end of the day, it looks and operates as a normal supermarket."
According to the pastor, more than 75,000 items have been handed out since the Dartford Larder opened.
He added: "We're just doing it from our heart and our passion and I think it's had a really, really good impact."