With record numbers of people turning to food banks to help feed their families and with charities giving out an emergency supply of dried and tinned foods, an important movement in food is showcasing a new and economical way to shop for food.
Community co ops, otherwise known as the people's supermarkets, are popping up around the UK, with campaigning groups such as Sustain, the Dandelion Food Comity, The True Food Co Op and the Lamb Club, giving a different feel to shopping. With their alternatives to the way traditional supermarkets are run, what is the longevity and sustainability of a model that is based around volunteers and driven by ideas rather than capital?
Every day, I walk by the People's Supermarket on London's Lambs Conduit Street. With a surprising selection of groceries, including top-end delicatessen type produce, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables and household products, there is no evidence of the classic supermarket deal slicing that we've become accustomed to; it's just communal and cheap. Staffed entirely by volunteers, members pay twenty five pounds annually and donate four hours of their time per month to working in the supermarket, and in return they get a 20 per cent discount off their shopping.
And these grocery models which are starting to appear in our communities are not only a great way to get involved within your local area, but they are also an economic way of buying food in bulk to share.
The classic good life of the 70s is having a bit of a moment, with home brewing beers, making jams and chutneys, and a return to an active community coming firmly back into fashion.
But is it anything more than a fashion? Shopping around can reduce bills, but the really big savings can maybe now only be made when commodities are ordered in large quantities and that can only be done when locals join up to buy collectively.
Something that unifies us around eating has to be a good thing, and, as the recession continues to bite, as long as these co ops are easy to run, then their potential to change our food and the way we eat for the better is really exciting.