Food and drink

Helen Wright and Guy Douglas, centre, surrounded by, from left, Chris Aldridge, Mary Tindall, Anne Pulsford, manager Alex Trott and Helen Warren
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Meet our newest food heroes

By Linda Fort
December 21, 2010

Reading Food Heroes is a search for the best food and beverage producers, retailers, chefs and restaurateurs. After awarding the first to Paul Clerehugh, the panel have decided on a further two...

If you want to avoid the horrors of a supermarket at Christmas, you can find peace and organic goodwill at the True Food Co-op.

The co-op, with a shop in Emmer Green and three weekly markets, has just been named a Reading Food Hero.

The award is presented by Reading UK CIC to honour the best food and drink producers, retailers, chefs and restaurateurs.

The co-op has been going for more than six years and its shop in Grove Road opened in May.

Shop and warehouse manager Alex Trott said of the award: “It’s really good. It is a great opportunity to become better known and to let people know we are here and to market the co-op more widely.”

Although the shop has been going from strength to strength, the recession has hit the co-op weekly markets which have been reduced from five to three.

Shoppers can find the markets open from 5pm to 8.15pm on Wednesdays at the Wesley Methodist Church Hall in Queen’s Road, Central Reading, on Thursday at The Warehouse in Cumberland Road, Newtown, and on Fridays at the Silverdale Centre in Silverdale Road, Earley.

The co-op normally stocks a range of organic dry goods – cereals, dried fruit and pulses – and fresh fruit and vegetables as well as organic teas and coffees and eco-friendly household cleaning products.

It also sells locally baked bread and at this time of year has a Christmas table with stollen, Christmas cake, truffles, chocolates, fudge and mulled wine spices. Over the Christmas period, the shop will be open from Monday, December 20, to Thursday, December 23, from 8.30am to 5.30pm and from 8.30am to 1pm on Christmas Eve.

It then closes until Wednesday, December 29, when it will open from 10am to 4pm on that day and on Thursday, December 30, and New Year’s Eve.

The shop then closes and reopens for normal business on Tuesday, January 4.

Mr Trott said: “People tell us we have a more relaxed atmosphere here than in the supermarkets – it’s a much pleasanter shopping experience, quieter with music in the background.”

Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own containers – even for the household cleaning products – although there are recycled paper bags on hand when needed.

lindafort@trinitysouth.co.uk

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