Firm response to appetite for cheap food

The business has moved to a 20,000 sq ft warehouse in Dinnington, near Sheffield.

It is three times the size of its previous premises, which were also based in Dinnington.

The online service sells more than 1,000 long-dated, short-dated or out-of-date "best before" products from many brands.

Since the start of the year, the number of orders has increased by 115 per cent. The company has doubled its turnover and created 15 jobs in the last six months.

The business now processes more than 1,500 orders a week, delivering groceries to homes across the UK.

Dan Cluderay, founder of Approved Food, said: "The appetite for cheap food and drink continues to grow.

"The first half of this year has surpassed our expectations with a huge number of new and returning customers filling their baskets with us. The economic climate has made our offering particularly attractive, especially to families looking for ways to save money in the household."

He added: "As the business continued to expand, servicing such a high volume of orders from our old premises became increasingly challenging.

"The new warehouse has provided us with the modern and spacious facilities we need to increase our stock levels and packing resources, enabling us to increase our workforce and improve our efficiency."

Mr Cluderay said products that were past their "best before" date are "fine to consume".

A spokesman added: "Buying goods this way is not only good value, but also helps reduce the amount of food waste by making use of products that supermarkets are otherwise ready to throw away."

The website also features pet food, cleaning products and toiletries.