Pierre’s app maps hedge veg stalls

Founder of hedgeveg.gg Pierre Le Page created an online platform which maps hedge-veg locations as a guide to local produce and handmade goods.

It has proved popular with 49 stalls listed already.

Mr Le Page said, ‘Hedge veg is a unique concept and symbol of our Guernsey heritage.

‘More people are now turning to local produce, especially now people are increasingly conscious about the quality of produce they source and consume.’

Knowing stall locations and offerings was a challenge.

‘I have been blown away with the amount of stalls I’ve seen, many I never knew existed.

‘Hedge Veg helps pull all these together on a map, along with descriptions of what they sell on an easy-to-use website.’

Knowledgeable in web design, Mr Le Page completed it in a week.

‘I decided to channel a small amount of my time into a project I felt would benefit the local community.

‘I had an old website which I re-surfaced to create Hedge Veg.’

Other similar attempts to create this platform met difficulties with seasonality produce changes.

‘I was re-energised when I read about Bethan Watkins’s story in Jersey recently who set up a similar project there.’

Now stall-owners can manage and update their own listings.

‘There is no fee and I intend to keep this platform free of charge. I may explore features in the future such as a virtual shop-front allowing cashless online ordering and collection. There are ongoing maintenance fees but I’d hope to potentially find a local company sponsor to support these.’

Mr Le Page’s sister, Adele, helped list some stalls.

‘We know there is still many more to discover and encourage stall owners to get in touch or add their stall listing directly.’

There are 33 categories to choose from but more can be added.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and more than 1,000 people use the site daily.

‘It’s been wonderful to receive so many kind comments. Many people questioned why this hasn’t existed already.’

n Visit hedgeveg.gg/add-listing/ to add your stall.