A network of Plymouth food co-operatives has been growing since 2023, empowering groups of neighbours in communities across the city to reduce their food bills and develop new skills, all on their own terms. Explore the what, why and how of Plymouth food cooperatives and the huge potential they offer to strengthen food citizenship for their members, their families and beyond.

What is a food co-operative?

A co-op is open to all – anyone can be in a food co-op. It has open membership and is run on a voluntary basis by its members. Food co-ops work in cooperation with others, sharing food, skills and resources, and being respectful of individual and collective voices.

Economic participation is part of being a member of a food co-operative – each member pays in to a collective pot and the money raised goes towards paying for food (which could be via wholesale bulk order, surplus food or other ways of buying food) for the group to share. A food co-op is inherently not-for-profit.

Food co-ops are founded on the basis of care and concern within communities, with people working together to understand what’s needed in their community and make a difference. This has been supported by education and training for volunteers – see more on this below.

Ultimately, every food co-op is unique and will be run differently, according to what the members of each co-op decide. Each food co-op reflects its own individual community and has autonomy and independence, with the seven Cooperative Principles at its heart. The Plymouth food co-operatives adopt the Cooperation Town model, a movement of community food co-ops, self organising on streets and estates across the country.

Source: Cooperation Town

What is Cooperation Town?

Cooperation Town is a movement of community food co-ops, self organising on streets and estates across the country, with over 50 co-ops currently across the network.

Cooperation Town co-ops are small neighbourhood buying groups, providing their members with free and affordable groceries, sourced in bulk and distributed at a very low price. The food co-ops are owned by their members and run according to local needs. Members decide collectively on how to organise and are responsible for the day to day running of the co-op.

While each Cooperation Town co-op is independent, the network is designed to share resources and support across the movement. The Cooperation Town network is coordinated by a not-for-profit workers cooperative (limited company), with dedicated organisers working in London, Sheffield and right here in Plymouth in the form of Cooperative Organiser Kelly Fritzsche, whose work has funding from Plymouth City Council and NHS Devon.

Watch the video below – featuring Kelly Fritzsche in Plymouth – for an in-depth introduction to all things Co-operation Town.

Where are food co-ops operating in Plymouth?

There are currently ten different food co-ops operating across Plymouth. They tyipcally comprise of 20 permanent members, each contributing ~£3 per week to enable collective bulk purchases as well as sourcing surplus food directly from food redistribution charity FareShare South West. Find out more about each of the Plymouth food cooperatives below.

What are the benefits of being part of a food co-op?

The immediate benefits of saving money on food bills are obvious but being a member of a food co-operative in Plymouth is about so much more than simply food and finances. The power of Plymouth’s food cooperatives is in their people – their time, their energy, their skills and their friendship. By joining together as a network, they have been able to access exciting new training and learning opportunities, from budgeting, cooking and food preserving workshops to a dedicated weekend wellbeing event.

Here are just some of the many benefits of being a member of a neighbourhood food co-operative, according to the findings of a Plymouth food co-operatives member survey carried out in October 2024.

• 29% of members reporting saving up to £10 per week on food bills, 48% reported saving between £10 and £20, and 19% reported saving over £20 each week
• 63% said that being in the co-op has helped with their cooking skills
• 70% agreed that being in the co-op has helped them to learn new skills
• 76% stated that the co-op has made them feel less isolated in their community
• 77% agreed that being in the co-op has given them access to education such as cookery courses, maths classes and more, as well as booking free activities
• 82 % agreed that being in the co-op has helped them to make friends and meet new people
• 86% stated that being in the co-op has made them feel good about the part they play in their community
• 90% agreed that being in the co-op has helped them to eat more fruit and vegetables

• 100% said that being in the co-op has meant they have been able to pass food on to others

Even though I am a working person, I have really appreciated being a part of this food co-op. It really has helped me and my family out massively. Just because I work doesn’t mean I have lots of money to afford the things we need. Having a child with additional needs can make shopping quite stressful so knowing that I have this bag coming weekly has been great! Without this my money would be even tighter to budget so thank you for this opportunity.

The network of Plymouth food co-operatives has also been charting the impact of their work and involvement using a Ripple Effects Mapping model with input from Dr Rebecca Carter-Dillon as part of the Health Determinants Research Collaboration led by Plymouth City Council and the University of Plymouth. Their recent workshop was led and run by members of food co-operatives across the city.

Keen to learn more?

Follow the Plymouth Food Co-ops journey on Instagram or email Cooperative Food Organiser Kelly Fritzsche here.