What is The Very Green Grocery?
We are a community grocery shop that is here to reduce food waste, and provide our Winsford, Northwich and Crewe community with affordable food options.
Very Green Grocery offer affordable groceries while helping reduce food waste. We work with local supermarkets, food distributors and haulage companies. We accept donations of surplus food, making sure good food doesn’t go to waste. You can sign up to become a member for free, and you can visit twice a week to pick up groceries for a £7 donation - you will walk away with groceries with a general retail value of between £25 - £40.
How does it work?
We want your experience to feel like regular shopping, because that's what it is. We don't do food parcels or pre-packed bags. You get to choose what you take home.
When you arrive, grab a ticket number and we'll call you up when it's your turn. This just helps us keep things flowing smoothly so there's space for everyone to shop comfortably. Once you're in, you'll find different sections - fruit and veg, tins, fridges, freezers, cupboard essentials, and more. There'll be a friendly volunteer at each section to let you know how many items you can take from that area. From there, just browse the shelves and pick what you want. That's it really!
Top tip: Bring at least 1-2 reusable carrier bags with you as it can get quite full!
The specials section
Each store also has a specials section with extra items available at a small cost (we keep prices as low as possible). No two specials sections are the same, it's a bit like the middle aisle at Aldi! One week it might be mountains of crisps and shampoo, the next it's dog food and baking equipment. You never know what you'll find!
What food can I expect to get at the Grocery?
Our offerings change regularly based on surplus donations from supermarkets and other sources, but we always have a great selection of food including:
Fruit & Veg
Snacks
Tinned food
Cupboard items
Freezer items
Fridge items
Bakery items
If food is out of date, is it still safe to eat?
This is a great question, we will explain the two different labels you will get on food and what they mean. When food is manufactured it will have two labels on called "Use by" and "Best before" date. Here is a little bit more information about these labels, and what you need to look out for.
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Use by
10TH OCT
Best Before
10TH OCT
"Use by" is the stricter of the two and tends to be on meat, dairy or similar. Food that is "use by" should be used by that date or frozen, if that packaging states that it is suitable for freezing. We will never pass on food past the "use by" date, unless it has been previously frozen.
"Best before" is a guideline from the manufacturer suggesting that their produce is best eaten before that date. We follow WRAP guidelines on how long after a "best before" date we can pass something on. It is then over to you, the consumer, to decide when to use it.
Why is there surplus food?
There are many reasons why there are surplus food, here is just a few reasons why:
Overproduction
Past the Best Before date
Damaged packaging
How do I become a member?
Getting started is simple, just pop into any of our stores and sign up with us in person, or sign up online below. No referral needed. Anyone can join.
We only ask you to become a member so we can keep track of how many people use our grocery service. This helps us make sure our shelves stay well-stocked with everything you need.
Membership is completely free of charge and you can sign up at any time. Once you're a member, you can shop at any of our three stores in Winsford, Northwich, and Crewe.
For more information about our store locations and opening times, see the section below.
Our Grocery stores and opening times
Now that you have learned a little bit more about who we are and what we do, you probably want to now understand more about who we are, where we are and when we are open.
Can I donate food to you?
We do take food donations! To find out more please click the button below and we can give you some more information about donating food to us.
Frequently asked questions
We have put together a list of questions we have been asked, to better help you understand The Very Green Grocery and our food shop process. To read the FAQ's please press the button below.
