Hello out there! It’s at times like these we are so grateful to have our wonderful local community co-operative right on our doorstep. Village Greens was founded in 2014 and has been serving the local Prestwich community with ethically sourced and wonderfully fresh organic produce ever since.
Some of you readers will be loyal customers, who have shopped regularly at the shop over the last 5+ years, some of you might be returning as an alternative to supermarkets during these strange times and some of you might be brand new to the area or have never been inside the wonderful shop.
It’s fantastic to see the increased level of local support and so many more new customers getting in touch. THANK YOU! The marvellous shop team and volunteers are trying hard to keep up with demand, keep the shop clean and introduce new services to help out the most vulnerable in our local community so please be patient if things aren’t running as smoothly as they usually do.
Many of you have asked for a product list, perhaps because you aren’t able to come into the shop or perhaps are shopping for elderly relatives in the local area and you are not close by. So here goes with my guide to how the shop works and what’s typically in stock. Some small print! Please note that product availability and prices are changing daily so it’s hard to say exactly what’s on offer but hopefully this will give you an idea (and the photos might help too 😊 - all taken Friday 3rd April).
Fresh Produce
This is probably the most difficult at the moment because the shop team are trying to source what they can when they can but it’s largely dictated by what’s available from the suppliers. Typically fruit and veg deliveries come in on a Monday and a Thursday, everything is seasonal and organic so generally there’s a good range available. If you want to check on something specific it might be worth contacting the shop or planning some meals with ingredients which could be substituted (like this soup).
Hoppers
The hoppers are basically self-service dispensers where you can take as much or as little as you need. They are still available but please wear gloves (provided) when using the hoppers at the mo. There’s a full list of what’s available at the mo at the end of this blog but some things might be out of stock as you can see from these pics.
Bread
The usual bread supplier is Trove in Levenshulme and at the time of writing they are still supplying their delicious artisan bread. It’s worth calling the shop if there’s something specific you are looking for. There’s also pittas from Pittanoor and other “longer life” breads on the shelves (rye bread, pumpernickel, wraps etc)
Milk (and other dairy and non-dairy product) & Eggs
The dairy fridge usually contains milk, butter, yoghurts, cheese, cream etc. from suppliers like Longley Farm and Calon Wen.
There’s also lots of non-dairy alternatives with products like sunflower spread, vegan cheeses and soya yoghurts. Plus there’s a wide selection of milks (oat, hemp, almond, soya etc).
Eggs - Yes (Friday 3rd) but suggest checking before you make a special trip because demand is high😊
Store Cupboard & Freezer
There’s a huge range of tinned and packet goods available, as well as what’s in the hoppers. Generally there’s tinned vegetables, beans and pulses and soups. Tea and coffee, jams, honey, peanut butter (other nut butters available), breakfast cereals, crisp breads, baking ingredients (flour is in short supply at the time of writing), condiments, oils, herbs and spices, dried fruits and nuts, pasta, noodles, cooking sauces etc plus a well stocked freezer. Have a little look at the photos to see the detail!
Treats
Well I guess this depends on what you class as a treat but there’s generally lots of chocolate, sweeties and snacks available, lots of delicious soft drinks plus and a well-stocked alcohol section with local beers.
Cleaning products & Toiletries
Things like washing up liquid, multi surface cleaner, laundry liquid, fabric conditioner from the refill station. Toiletries - everything you could possibly need including TOILET PAPER!
Hopefully you’ve found this useful as a guide to what you might want to buy so here’s some details on how you can shop at the moment……
Come into the shop! You are welcome if you have no symptoms but please observe social distancing rules, wear gloves (provided) when using the hoppers and it’s card payment only for the time being. Opening times may be subject to change so keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram.
If you over 70, vulnerable or self-isolating you can email your order to orders@village-greens-coop.co.uk, pay online using secure payment and our volunteers will deliver to you (local deliveries only).
If you can get out but would prefer not to come into the shop then place your order as above and come and collect.
There’s also limited fruit and veg boxes available online (Mondays and Thursdays) for local delivery only. More details here.
Hope you enjoyed this whirlwind tour. Look after yourselves and each other. 💚
Hopper List (all organic)
Apricots, Banana Chips, Dates, Figs, Raisins, Sultanas
Chia Seeds, Linseed, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds
Red Lentils, Brown Lentils, Puy Lentils
Black Turtle Beans, Haricot Beans, Yellow Split Peas, Chick Peas
Quinoa, Millet, Pearl Barley
Rice - Short Brown, Basmati White, Basmati Brown, Long Grain Brown, White Jasmine
Fregola - Giant Cous Cous, Wholemeal Cous Cous
Bulghur Wheat, Buckwheat
Popping Corn
Oats – Jumbo, Oats – Rolled, Muesli Base, Bran Flakes
Pasta Wholewheat Pennette, Wholewheat Fusilli, White Fusilli
Coffee Beans (non organic but locally roasted)
Raw Chocolate Co – Chocolate Mulberry Chips