The People’s Supermarket

Cool co-​op supermarket.
Staff is really helpful and care about the store. It’s mostly volunteers and if you have a passion for food and community I recommend you sign up.
Fair prises and great selection if you care for things like organic, vegan and free-​from.

I really like the People’s Supermarket. The best part for me is that they try and re-​use any food that’s about to expire and transform it into delicious and affordable meals. Their vegetarian lunches are amazing. I’m lucky that I work so close!
The staff are really cool and I like the whole membership scheme. I unfortunately don’t have time to volunteer with this group but if I could, I totally would. Go, People’s Supermarket!

As Caren H. stated, one makes a commitment to work one four-​hour shift monthly in order to maintain membership. Members receive a 10 percent discount on all store products.
I think that the co-​operative model is great. Ideally, folk in the neighborhood (and beyond) are invested in making the store theirs by working as a team, making decisions as a team, and so forth. The supermarket is still relatively new, so it would seem that changes to make TPS be most beneficial for those living and shopping in the ‘hood, (and those from other areas of town that don’t have TPS and come to Bloomsbury to shop) are still being made.
If processed foods are on the shelf next to organic, and, therefore, more expensive products, then I could only imagine that feedback from the neighborhood dictated a need to stock the range. People will vote with their pocketbooks, and, in order to stay viable, TPS, I suspect, needs to provide less costly choices, too.
Products I like: freshly baked bread, locally produced honey, hot food produced on-​site, and lovely floral arrangements.
*as of Dec. 2011 the member discount has risen to %20.

So, firmly ensconced in our new Kings Cross office and starting to explore.
Lot’s to like.
Including the People’s Supermarket.
I saw the TV programme about it and firmly applaud the philosophy behind it. So when I rode past it on the way to work I thought I must take a peek.
The veg looks great to me. Lots of great choices. from exotic tomatoes to lovely globe artichokes. Some of it doesn’t look as neat and tidy as tesco but that’s the point really. It’s about getting good vegetables at a fair price.
But that’s where I get a little confused. The pricing here is a bit wild.
I was tempted by a scotch egg until I saw they wanted £3 for it. I can get possibly the best scotch egg in London from HG Walter in Barons Court (must review that place, it’s amazing) for £2. And it’s hand made with free range british pork to an exceptionally high standard. This £3 version looked pale and hastily put together in comparisson and Iknow the ingredients couldn’t have been better.
So I bought a meal deal which consisted of a nice piece of quiche, a piece of fruit and a bottle of water for £2. Very reasonable. But beeing the greedy chops I am I supplimented with an innocuous looking tabbouleh and potato salad which didn’t have a price. Got to the till. £3.99! I don’t get it. Also, knowing from the TV show that the cooked food is cooked using stuff they can’t shift from the fresh section (something I totally admire) I wondered if the prices could be a little cheaper for a lot of that stuff too. Those who sign up to help out for 2 hours a month get a 10% discount, but I wonder if that dents a big shop.
All in all a wonderful idea and worth supporting. The cooked food by the way is very tasty. But I’m not sure about the fluctuating prices. Maybe that’s just the way it has to be until it really finds its feet and increases its buying power. For now 3 stars will suffice but I will deffo be a regular because of the concept and intent.
Now then, what am I supposed to put down for the price range???

Having caught the tail end of the TV programme I recently signed up for membership at The People’s Supermarket. Following an induction a few weeks ago, I worked my first shift last weekend. Both the members and shoppers come from all walks of life with the latter predominantly based locally.
The concept is fully democratic and there are no bosses, instead everyone supports each other. It is an excellent experience to look behind the scenes and to learn what is important in running a supermarket. Keeping the shelves stocked is obviously a major priority. I completed my first shift behind the till and was worried to be letting everyone down by being so slow. I needn’t have worried as many people come here exactly because TPS is so different from regular supermarkets — a friendly atmosphere seems more important than ultra-​efficient bar code scanners. Mind you, even in my first hour I would win against Tesco’s self-​service tills hand down — and noone shouts «unexpected item in bagging area» in a monotonous drone …
Prices of fresh produce can change daily as neither supplies nor suppliers are uniform. I was amazed at the superior quality of some of the vegetables, and many of the prices were extremely competitive.
As already mentioned by other reviewers, the shop does not just stock fairtrade and organic goods, but also a lot of regular corner shop convenience stuff. I was amazed at how many times I scanned wagon wheels during my shift — at 40p a big pack these were an obvious bargain!
The flower stall also deserves a special mention as this definitely offers good value. A couple of guys bought beautiful bouquets for only £10 each.
Unfortunately, I live nowhere near the shop and won’t be able to do all my shopping here. But I made sure to stock up on my favourite Ecover products (they were very competitively priced, even before the members discount), some tinned staples, those amazing red peppers and some goodies from the deli counter. The pecan pie was the best I have ever tasted, and the treacle tart a clear winner, too.
Actually, all the food looked amazing and that evening Arthur was running a cookery class downstairs. I like the vibe and energy of this place and will do my bit to make sure that this concept catches on as a real alternative to corporate chains at every corner.

This is a co-​op model and some of the concepts are great (there was a tv feature on this place). The founder is the guy from Acorn House and he is all about sustainability. The idea is that members work at the store (they pay to be a member, work a 4 hour shift and then get a yearly discount). However, the incentive isn’t that great. It is also a bit schizophrenic in the offerings – in such a small space to have high-​end organic products next to crappy processed food.
The part I like is that some of the produce is «rescued» produce – rejected by mainstream groceries. It is all good quality and supports local farmers. The shop is small so you can’t do the whole shop and it is not well laid out or pleasant to shop, but the concept is good. I’ve heard the Kitchen is great where they take things that are close the the sell-​by date and make delicious dishes.

Brilliant concept ! The owner decided there’s too much food waste. So the People supermarket do a few things to act against that :
— buy to local farmers veggies that are perfectly good but that your usual supermarket doesn’t want because it’s a bit too big/​small/​curvy etc…
— use food that would go to waste in the People Kitchen, a little deli/​take away corner in the supermarket, perfect for lunch or lazy evenings. Delicious food.
Finally, the idea is that it’s for the people by the people. So you can join, pay 25£, do a shift of 4hours a month (48hours a year) and get a say in the leading of the supermarket + 10%off your bills as soon as you’ve done your 1^st shift. Isn’t that cool ?
I can make all my shopping in one go, as it sell a wide range of stuff, from basic to organic. Brilliant !

I had to visit this supermarket to see for myself what the hype was all about, having seen the TV documentary series. I found a small reasonably stocked store with a great choice of good-​prices fresh fruit and veg, with slightly pricier tinned and packet goods.
I had a brief chat with Arthur, who was friendly, and informative but most of all obviously still enthusiastic about the concept of the store. The staff were friendly (all volunteers working 4 hours a month) and helpful and were obviously happy to be there working. (Compare that with Asda!) There was a different feel about the store which was very pleasant, and even other customers began chatting with us as if they knew us.
My wife and I did not need to shop, but we did pick up some fresh food which we cooked for dinner. It was absolutely great quality and a very good price.
If distance were not a problem, I would join this ‘members’ supermarket (and benefit from the members’ discount). In fact I was tempted to do so anyway! Maybe next time I go (and there will be a next time, distance notwithstanding).

The People’s Supermarket is a «co-​operatively owned social enterprise» about the size of a cost-​cutter or small Co-​Op. It sells everyday grocery items, with a focus on the organic and freshly produced, and is staffed by its members. All profits, we’re told, are to be ploughed back into the business.
What a neat idea. Don’t forget to bring your own bags as (you might have guessed) the People’s Supermarket is not for the un-​environmentally friendly plastic sack. Also prices are quite high — although an effort has been made to cut costs (you chose how much flour you want from a giant sack which is obviously cheaper for them to supply than buying smaller bags in) it’s still expensive on familiar brands.
One area which is brilliant is the ‘ready meals’ section, delicious soups that are clearly homemade and great salads that won’t break the bank and are great if you work nearby.
So I wouldn’t recommend you do the weekly shop at the People’s Supermarket, but I’d rather pick up lunch or bits and bobs from here, than Waitrose round the corner.