Sustain • Good Food Enterprises • Food Co-ops toolkit
Fruit & vegetable suppliers
Food co-ops across the country use a range of different suppliers. Some create direct links with producers whereas others buy from wholesalers.
The size of your co-op will affect which suppliers are willing to deliver to you (or whether you will have to collect the goods yourself). Some areas will have better links to farmers and growers than others, but many wholesalers are able to deliver across the country.
When you choose a supplier it is important to ensure that the produce you buy is not only of great quality and good value for money, but that the service the supplier offers is reliable. It can be useful to have a backup supplier should your main supplier let you down!
To set up an account with a supplier you might have to give them estimates of the quantities you will be ordering (especially if you are building a relationship with a local farmer or grower), and it is important to check they can make deliveries that suit your schedule.
To find more useful food co-op related information visit our homepage
Food Co-ops toolkit: The Food Co-ops Toolkit will give you all the information you need to set up your own food co-op.
