We're building a grocery shop for Leicester. It's for families and everyday cooks who want good quality food that is affordable. We'll offer a selection of wholesome food, ecological household goods, and loose ingredients.
A shop built around everyday ingredients, weighed loose where we can
Pulses, grains, nuts, dried fruit ready packaged for you, or weigh into your own container to reduce packaging.
Fruit and veg from growers nearby, paid a fair price. Seasonal first, supplemented with the everyday essentials that aren't.
Store cupboard essentials, cooking oils, and spices. Quality everyday ingredients for cooking from scratch, sourced from suppliers we trust.
A grocery where everyday ingredients come first
Rice, pasta, oats, pulses, potatoes, fresh fruit and veg, herbs and spices. Fairly priced and well chosen, with people behind the counter who know the products.
The shop will be worker-owned. The people working in it will own and run it. One member, one vote. Any surplus goes back into wages, into keeping everyday ingredients affordable, and into the long-term health of the business.
We're starting with one shop, done properly. Our reference is Unicorn Grocery in Manchester, who've been doing this since 1996.
Real and on the way
Research and planning
Product range, pricing model, co-operative structure, and site requirements all mapped out.
Three public meetings
Held at Friends Meeting House, Leicester. The first launched the project in October 2025. The second, in January 2026, included speakers from Unicorn Grocery and CASE. The third in September 2026, included speakers: Gavin Fletcher, Tom and Debra Willoughby, Miriam Stoate, Andy Cooke, Chris Williams and Sandra Woodward.
Premises & financial model
Looking for a ground-floor space in or around Leicester, 220 m² or more, with parking and near a bus route. Two sites we looked at haven't worked out, and the search goes on.
Registration & fit-out
Registering the co-operative, recruiting founding worker-members, and beginning fit-out once the site is settled.
Latest news
We've been awarded support to set up as a co-operative
Our application to the Business Support for Co-ops programme has been successful. The programme is run by Co-operatives UK with the Co-operative Bank, and it helps new co-ops get started. We've been awarded four days of support from Dan Kelly of CASE (LCCDA Management Co-operative…
The UK's co-operative economy in 2026
Co-operatives UK's annual report is out. New co-ops are more than twice as likely as other businesses to still be going after five years. Every year Co-operatives UK publishes a report on the size of the co-operative and mutual economy. This year's came out on…
£10 million to help start new co-operatives in England
The government has announced a Co-operative Development Programme for England. Here's what we know so far, and what it could mean for Leicestershire. On 25 September the government announced a £10 million Co-operative Development Programme for England. It's part of a £210 million package for…
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