Everything you need to know about AmazonFresh

Once upon a time, Amazon just sold books. It was pretty good at it, so it decided to sell more things, like office DVDs and CDs and board games and... well, pretty much everything.

Having dabbled in the world of fresh foods (they've been offering food deliveries in the US since 2007), Amazon is now throwing its considerable weight behind food delivery in the UK, launching AmazonFresh.

This is how it works.

What is it?

Much like Sainsbury's, Tesco and any other supermarket giant to offer grocery delivery, AmazonFresh will let you select from 130,000 products - from fresh fruit and veg to spirits and beer, much of it from Morrisons, but other suppliers are being added to Amazon's stocks all the while. 

Where can I get it?

For now, it's only available in 69 postcodes across central and east London. Which is a tiny area, in the grand scheme of things.

Should it prove to be a success, Amazon will be rolling out the areas covered by the delivery service in the coming months. 

How much does it cost?

The service is available to Amazon Prime subscribers on a free 30 day trial - though delivery charges are only free if your shop is over £40. If your order is under £40, you'll have to pay a delivery charge of £4.

After that 30 day trial, you'll have to pay a rate of £6.99 a month to be included in the Fresh service - on top of your Amazon Prime subscription. 

How does it work?

Unlike Amazon's usual deliveries, you'll have to book a slot for when you want your Fresh order to arrive. 

Available from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week, just select a one-hour slot and wait for bad traffic to inevitably cause the van to miss it... If you place your order by 1pm they can guarantee delivery by 5pm. 

Is it worth it?

It really depends what you're after. Some of the goods will be cheaper than you'd find on rival supermarkets: a loaf of Warburtons Seeded Batch will cost you £1.20 on Amazon, but £1.50 on Sainsbury's. 

If you're lucky enough to be included in the initial launch area, it's best to have a look and shop around - you could save some money on your shop, but you'll have to factor in that additional subscription charge.