AUGUST 2018

WORKER CO-OPS
Life at 40: Food co-op
weaves its values into
the fabric of community
Honeysuckle, a wholefoods co-op store
in Oswestry, Shropshire, is celebrating its
40th anniversary.
The store, which sells ethical, healthy
foods including fresh fruit and veg, herbs,
dried, packet and tinned foods, is holding
a week of celebrations, with bunting,
cake, special chocolate from Forever
Cacao and photos of its story.
Honeysuckle’s Gemma Syrett-Judd says
the original group, who set the store up in
July 1978, chose the worker co-op model
“because of their political motivation –
they didn’t want to be in a conventional
business, they wanted to be a co-op.
Also, they were young with families and it
fitted in with that, it allowed them to have
flexible hours.”
The worker co-op model is a crucial
factor in the shop’s longevity, thinks
Gemma. “It was set up with the basic
principles of the worker co-op and looking
back, that has allowed the shop to survive.
We feel that it wouldn’t be here if it was
a conventional business partnership – it
would probably have been bought out.
“And because we’re a worker co-op
we have a wide spread of expertise in
the organisation – one person joins and
they’re good at accounts, someone else is
good at stocktaking, and so on.”
p Honeysuckle’s team celebrate the store’s milestone
Honeysuckle has recently undergone
changes of membership after years of
stability, as some of the original members
reached retirement. Currently, it has three
members and is looking to recruit a fourth.
“That’s good,” said Gemma, “because
it means we can bring in younger people
– they are enthusiastic and more aware of
new trends. The replacement of members
over time naturally brings in new blood,
new energy, new ideas.
“We know our customers – some have
been with us for 40 years and it makes
you realise how impressive it is that we’ve
been here that long. People who have
always supported us have told us what
Honeysuckle means to them. When the
shop started, wholefoods stores were rare
so for people with those diets and ideals,
we were very good.
“Now those ideas are mainstream it
brings challenges because you realise
what you sell is available everywhere –
but our knowledge and customer service
is not everywhere. And we have more
flexibility than big stores over stock.”
Because Honeysuckle has last so long in
the same place, it has become a fixture in
its community. “A lot of our customers are
at a certain age now,” said Gemma, “and if
they stop coming in, you miss them, so we
check up on them, and check if they need
anything. It’s part of our ethos, of caring
for people in our community.”
RETAIL
Co-ops join forces with celebrity chef
to celebrate the flavours of Scotland
The Co-op Group and Scotmid
Co-op have joined celebrity chef Nick
Nairn to reward the country’s suppliers.
The retailers – which between them
stock more than 1,800 Scottish lines –
are launching the first ever Co-op
Scottish Supplier Awards to recognise
outstanding suppliers.
The awards will also recognise suppliers
who contribute to local life or demonstrate
sustainability in food production.
The youngest Scottish chef to win a
Michelin star in the 1990s, Mr Nairn will
head the judging panel for the awards,
which will be handed out in Glasgow on
12 September.
“I was raised on delicious home grown
Scottish food,” he said, “and I’m thrilled
that my fellow Scots are just as passionate
about buying, cooking and eating Scottish
food as I am. It’s great to see two of our
largest convenience retailers really putting
our national food names in the spotlight.”
The 10 categories are:
Bakery of the Year
Beers, Wines and Spirit Product of
the Year
Best Agricultural Initiative
Fresh Product of the Year
Grocery Product of the Year
Investor in Scottish Communities
Most Sustainable Supplier
New Product of the Year
Own-label Supplier of the Year
Supplier of the Year (Judges’ Choice)
CJ Antal Smith, the Co-op Group’s
trading director, said: “Food provenance
means everything to our customers and
members here in Scotland – they’re
passionate about buying great quality,
delicious home-grown fare.”
Stephen Brown, local sourcing manager
at Scotmid, said: “The awards provide
us with a great opportunity to shine the
spotlight and recognise excellent local
produce; ranging from globally recognised
brands to small family businesses.”
8 | AUGUST 2018