Daily Bread -
| Published: 11th March 2008 20:40 |
Daily Bread Co-Operative
Daily Bread is a foodstore with a difference, it is a workers co-operative which has been in Northampton for 26 years and has evolved organically (forgive the pun) from selling a few seeds and nuts to over 5000 products on display.
This is a short excerpt from a publication called "crumbs" which has been written as a history to the Daily Bread Co-Opertive - If like me you have found Daily Bread you will not need convincing of its merits and wonderful array of fine and exotic foodstuffs - However if you haven't yet discovered Daily bread and are after something a little different, ethically traded, or something for special dietary needs, plus some of your basic store cupboard necessities at sensible prices then I would highly recommend a trip to Daily Bread.
In the Beginning....
October 1st 1980 won't stand out in many peoples' minds as anything too eventful in the annals of local history. Just an ordinary mid-week day when not much remarkable was happening in Northampton. Even the weather was nothing to write home about. But for those associated with a project to breathe new life into some old, rather shabby disused buildings on
the Bedford Rd, it will be remembered as the first day of something special. This was the day when Daily Bread Co-operative first opened its doors to the buying public. From the Company Minutes, apart from maybe a dozen or so curious individuals, it
seems to have passed by just about everyone else living in Northampton at that time.
Twenty five years on, from the outside nothing much seems to have changed. The gabled redbrick building that was once laundry to St Andrews Hospital up the hill has stayed very much in character. Some say it has the style and charm of a small Victorian railway station or primary school. No bad thing - the Victorians built o last. The huge black wooden door that opens for business every morning is much as it always was except that these days it opens promptly at 8.30am instead of the leisurely 11 o'clock start enjoyed in those early days of trading. Inside, the scene was very different. The ‘shop' at that time was almost embarrassingly spacious. With only 33 products on offer - all of them basic items like fruit, nuts, seeds and
grains, there was plenty of room to spread them out alongside the sacks and boxes they came in. Not much there then to excite the sort of shoppers who might be expected to turn up for the opening of a brand new store in town.
Today, when over 5000 products are on display, it's easy to lose sight of just how basic and primitive those early days of trading really were. Sales on the first day failed to reach double figures. In the first four days of business just 42 customers passed through the premises. Compare that to now when the average number of customers is around 2000 a week.
This is an excerpt from a fascinating story written by John Kerr - to read the full version download crumbs here
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours are you open?
Six days a week - 8.30 am to 5.30 pm - doors close at 5.00pm on Saturdays - closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Do you accept Credit Card Payments?
Yes we accept all major credit cards, but do not offer cashback
Do you cater for people with special dietary needs?
Yes we have a good range of products for those on wheat free, gluten free, dairy free or yeast free diets, we also have many products for healthy eating.
Can you deliver?
Yes, we have a local delivery service and you can shop online at www.
Where exactly are you?
Community Comment:
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Well worth a visit. The nice "healthy" chocolate and treats are just as you go out the door of the food store. Yummy.
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