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.
Two 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.
Premises & financial model
Actively searching for premises in Leicester. We recently ruled out an initial site on Abbey Lane due to high flood risk, and are looking for other options of a similar size.
Registration & fit-out
Registering the co-operative, recruiting founding worker-members, and beginning fit-out once the site is settled.
We have decided not to proceed with the potential site on Abbey Lane.
While we were aware of some past flooding, which was described to us as a one-off, we have since learned that the area carries a severe, recurring flood risk due to river catchment issues. Effective flood defences are unlikely to be built, making the site too risky for our operations.
Because we haven't committed to a lease, we are easily transferring our layouts and financial plans to another site of similar size. We are actively looking for other premises (300 square metres plus, ideally on a single level) in Leicester and will share updates here as our search continues.
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