food coops

[barefootlinzi]

i am thinking of starting an organic food coop with a few other local families. i think we will order from suma and maybe infinity foods too. just wondering if anyone has any experience of organising or buying from a foodcoop?

[Ratty]

Funnily enough I just sent away for a Suma catalogue today! Not entirely sure who near me would be interested in ordering but I figured that the majority of the dry food items we're buying from our local Organic Supermarket hail from Suma and we have room to store larger quantities so I'd see about placing some orders.

I guess sending out messages to local peeps on Justfortheloveofit.org might unearth some interested locals too? (this is partly a "note to self"!)

Good luck & please let me know how you get on.

[ina]

Shirlz can help you with that - she organises our coop up here in Aberdeenshire. PM her if she doesn't react to this.

[marshlander]

A group of us use Suma and have been delighted with their customer service and the quality of their product. We have to make up a carriage paid qty (Never been a prob - cutting it down is the prob! lol ). We have to place order by thurs am for Mon/tue del. Varies from area to area.

Unless you're splitting boxes between you when you'll have to do the maths yourself, Suma have been happy to take 3 or 4 multiple orders and invoice them individually. Only one del address of course! You have to help get the stuff in and get a shuffle on. Very occasionally something is missing or not as expected but Suma don't get stroppy ever!

I usually buy as much as possible in the way of tinned stuff, rice, pasta, flour, pulses, walnuts, sultanas, raisins and toiletries. Then there's tea and coffee, sugar - I make a lot of cakes and jams - fruit juice.... oh and mooncups much cheaper than elsewhere!

We buy all our ecover products in 5 ltr containers and decant. I particular recommend techno san and techno multi from the professional range.

Only pitfall I can see is buying a "bargain" when you never would normally use something.

Ratty - you'll love the herbs and spices!