What does it mean to work co-operatively? How can food businesses use a co-operative model
Debbie Clarke
Food campaigner & co-owner Unicorn Grocery, Manchester
Tell us a little about yourself and your interest in local food.
I am a food campaigner and I’ve worked at Unicorn Grocery, which promotes local, sustainable and organic food, for nearly 9 years. For the past 8 years I’ve been a full member of the co-op. We have a flat management structure at Unicorn, and flat pay, and we also multi-task so our roles are all incredibly varied. One minute I might be cleaning the toilets, and another I’ll be planning an educational event or reviewing our marketing strategy. I love the variety, the sense of teamwork that comes with being part of a co-op, and being part of an organisation I’m truly proud of.
How did you get involved with 2Up 2Down Homebaked?
I was invited to visit as part of the ‘Making Local Food Work Food Co-ops’ project which involved supporting a huge variety of locally based food enterprises, bringing healthy, affordable food into their communities by buying together.
Individuals can feel quite powerless in the face of the big faceless companies that control our food system. But there are ways of taking back that power, by coming together as a group and developing an alternative like a food co-op or community shop. Locally-owned bakeries used to exist in every high street and they helped form connected communities, where people knew each other, money circulated locally, and every area was unique. I especially like the idea that the Mitchell’s bakery will be part of the community again, but in a whole new way.
What does living well mean to you?
I suppose it means something different to everyone but to me it’s working hard for something I believe in; whether that’s through my job or in my spare time, and balancing that with enough time to spend with friends, family and doing the things I love like going walking in the hills. Not always achievable, that balance, but I’m having a go.
