Direct producer-to-consumer short food supply chains (SFSC) have been presented as a possible solution to unsustainable long food supply chains but fail to address the interdependencies within the agri-food systems where food is largely processed, distributed, and provided by intermediaries. Recently researchers have changed their focus towards intermediate SFSC as a possible solution to create sustainable food systems while overcoming the limitations of direct producer-to-consumer SFSC. Intermediaries in SFSC fulfill a wide range of functions; they connect existing supply and demand and create supply and demand in different markets. They scale up and expand local markets. They are service providers within food systems, including packing, distributing, or shipping local products through conventional supply chains resulting in the movement of larger volumes of local food along the supply chain. To understand the current state of the art and expose future research directions, this review synthesizes the available literature in the field of intermediate SFSC until December 2021, excluding research that is focusing on global food supply chains. Results include four themes in the field of intermediate SFSC: the place of intermediate SFSC in food systems, stakeholder relationships in intermediate SFSC, governance of intermediate SFSC, and role of intermediate SFSC in obtaining sustainability.