Central England Co-op showcases the importance of supporting local producers

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 25/09/2017


As part of British Food Fortnight, Central England Co-operative is proud to shine a light on the importance of supporting local producers.

The Society now stocks over 400 locally-sourced products in our stores, from fish smoked in a traditional smokehouse in Lowestoft to cakes from Fatherson Bakery in Alcester.

Most recently the Society launched a range of premium, handpicked delicatessen products to meet the demands of shoppers.

Products include a varied choice of food to suit all taste buds, from delicious mini cakes to luxury sausage rolls – all sourced from the local area.

A spokesman for Central England Co-operative said: “As a Society we are proud to offer a wide selection of specialty locally sourced products at our stores.

“This means more options for our customers and supports the Co-operative’s aim of supporting local communities by offering a wide range of great quality foods and a selection sourced from local producers.”

In the Midlands, Central England Co-operative teamed up with Quartz Brewing to stock a range of ales and beers.

Founder Julia Barnett said:  “Local producers are a big part of the regional economy. Also reducing food miles as much as possible is a very good thing as it reduces the distance that the food has to travel before being consumed.”

Central England Co-operative also teamed up with Derbyshire-based The Cowhouse Dairy to sell its free range, locally sourced dairy ice cream called ‘Udder Stuff’.

Malcolm Sutton, Owner of The Cowhouse Dairy, said:We are extremely proud of our continued link with Udder Stuff and Central England Co-operative food.

“As a local farmer and producer I am proud to offer free range dairy ice cream from cows that enjoy the freedom to graze on our 600 acre farm.”

 

Notes to editors

 

About Central England Co-operative

 

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.

 

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

 

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

 

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

 

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

 

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop