Dartford Larder has supported more than 300 households in its first year, the council says. How the £4.50 social supermarket works and who can join.

Dartford’s social supermarket has supported more than 300 households in its first year, according to Dartford Borough Council.

Dartford Larder opened in Copperfields, off Spital Street, in June 2025. Members pay £4.50 a visit to choose food and household goods from its shelves at reduced prices.

The council published its first-year figures on 17 June 2026, the anniversary. It listed:

  • more than 300 households supported
  • nearly five tonnes of food redistributed, which the council puts at roughly 11,500 meals
  • 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved, which it compares to planting 714 trees
  • “more than 1,700 shops registered to donate”

The last line is quoted exactly as the council wrote it. The post does not say what it counts.

Other membership figures have been quoted this week. The ones above are the only first-year figures we could find published by the council or the Larder itself.

Dartford Larder's first year in the council's figures: more than 300 households, about five tonnes of food, about 11,500 meals and 12 tonnes of CO2 saved

How the Larder works

A social supermarket is laid out like an ordinary shop. Members browse the shelves and pick what they want, rather than being handed a set food parcel.

The council’s June 2025 launch announcement names three partners: the council, Crossways Community Church and the Healthy Living Centre. The Larder’s own website also lists New Avenues, which runs Dartford Foodbank.

The Larder is not a charity. The council’s business case, presented to Cabinet in March 2025, calls it “a shop owned by DBC and not a charity”. The council keeps the tenancy and the repairs. It used Big Local funding to commission two voluntary groups to run services there.

The council never expected the £4.50 fee to pay the bills. The same paper says running costs “will exceed the income generated from any Membership Fee”. It says the council’s investment “is viewed through the lens of the social value the Larder will contribute”.

Staffing for both delivery partners in the first year was funded through Big Local, the paper says. The launch announcement also credits the UK Government’s Household Support Fund and donations from Dartford businesses. The paper does not say how staffing will be paid for after year one.

Why it was set up

The business case sets out the gap the Larder was meant to fill:

  • Dartford has eight food banks, each giving a crisis response.
  • In September 2024, four of them handed food parcels to 585 families and individuals.
  • The council wanted to reduce reliance on food banks and move people towards buying their own food again.

The plan proposed that food banks would refer people who had used them for more than four months. Beyond the shop, it promised cookery lessons, a community chef and food growing on allotments at Wilmott Gardens.

The anniversary post and the Larder’s own pages do not give the running cost or the number of members who came from food banks. We could not find either figure published by the council or the Larder.

Who can join, and what to bring

The 2025 business case said the Larder would be “open to all local people” and “not means tested”. The Larder’s current first visit page sets out how joining works now:

  • Bring a council tax bill or proof of benefits with your address on it. It must show you live in, and pay council tax to, Dartford Borough Council.
  • Eligibility is decided at a first-visit triage with a volunteer support agent.
  • Membership lasts three months. Your circumstances are then reassessed.
  • Each shop costs £4.50, paid by card. No cash is taken.

Your council tax bill is the simplest proof of address. Our Dartford council tax bands page explains what each band pays this year.

Opening times and contact

Day Hours
Tuesday 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 3pm to 6pm
Thursday 10am to 2pm

The Larder is at Unit 5-6 Copperfields, Spital Street, Dartford DA1 2DE. The phone number is 01322 343510 and the email is info@dartfordlarder.co.uk, both from its website.

It also runs free cooking classes for members. Its website says it offers financial guidance and links to help with employment, housing and wellbeing.

A top hygiene rating

The Larder holds a food hygiene rating of 5, the highest score. The Food Standards Agency register shows the rating was given on 14 July 2026.

What it means for you

  • If food costs are a struggle and you live in the borough, the Larder is open three days a week. Take a council tax bill or benefits letter on your first visit.
  • Take a bank card. The Larder does not accept cash.
  • Expect a review after three months. The council’s stated aim is to reduce reliance on food banks, not to replace them.
  • If you want to help, the Larder has donation and support pages. Dartford FC ran a collection for the Larder in November 2025, asking for tinned food, hot drinks and store-cupboard staples.

The council’s cost of living support page lists other help available in the borough.

Sources