The Flava People, experts in sauces and seasonings for almost 50 years, is officially partnering with the non-profit initiative Community Grocery.
With 22 Community Grocery stores across the UK, including Bolton, Wigan, Lincoln and London, the initiative bridges the gap between food banks and discounter / supermarkets by bringing down the cost of the weekly shop for over 55,000 families who are impacted by food poverty. As part of the partnership, The Flava People sets out to raise a minimum of £30,000 to fund the opening of a new Community Grocery store for its local community in Wythenshawe, which will support around 5,000 local families.
An initiative of international charity, The Message Trust, the idea started as a response to the first Covid lockdown in 2020, when the charity delivered 60,000 meals to families across Wythenshawe, Manchester who would otherwise have gone hungry. As the lockdown lifted, it was clear the need for support in the community wasn’t going away. As a result, the Community Grocery was born, opening its flagship store in Sharston, Manchester.
Through its retail brand Flava It!, The Flava People will run a ‘Give-A-Shop’ initiative, donating 3p from every sachet sold in order to help fund and set up a brand new Community Grocery store on their doorstep in South Manchester. Through this, they hope to raise over £45,000 in their 2024 financial year alone.
The Flava People will donate surplus stock and ingredients, as well as Flava It! sachets to Community Grocery stores. In 2023, the team donated enough to add flavour to around 140,000 dinners.
Dedicating time and expertise. Each team member at The Flava People will be given at least two donation days to spend at the Community Grocery, equating to around 150 donation days per year. Team members will be allowed to donate days in the most impactful way to the initiative, from helping in the shop, to running cookery course days, to sharing knowledge and best-practice in everything from warehouse management to marketing to cost-cutting.
Scott Dixon, Managing Director at The Flava People, comments on the partnership: “There are so many worthy and worthwhile causes out there, sometimes navigating which one or ones to support can feel like entering a maze. However, we knew early on we wanted to find a partnership which would resonate with and support our local community, be aligned with our own goals and company mission, and be a cause we could make a meaningful contribution to above and beyond simply donating money.
“We are a family-run business whose mission is to help people create game-changing dinners, providing the flavour to the meal that matters the most. At the Community Grocery, they work tirelessly to ensure they are ‘keeping families fed’ with accessible and affordable solutions. Not only do our ambitions align so well, but it is an initiative which was founded on our doorstep in order to support those in our community. While our team gets behind every charity initiative, as this one is so close to home, we hope it will provide even better motivation to get everyone involved and be able to really create a meaningful difference. This includes through our volunteer days which, in addition to fundraisers and company events, will hopefully bring the partnership to life.”
Andy Hawthorne, Founder and Global CEO of Message Trust, comments: “The partnership with The Flava People is truly that, a partnership. We set out to be a safe space, free of stigma, which bridges the gap between food banks and supermarkets and have been overwhelmed by both the response from the local community, and the ongoing need not just in Manchester but across the UK. Support from this partnership will be invaluable for our teams.
“As a charity, we face many of the same challenges as any other SMEs, such as funding, awareness, and an increasingly challenging economic climate. While the donations of food for our groceries and money raised through the ‘Give-A-Shop’ initiative is much needed, what will be invaluable will be the expertise and time dedicated from The Flava People. They have a wealth of experience at their fingertips which will make a huge difference both to us and to our members.”
In its first three years of operation, the Community Grocery team has grown from 1 to 22 stores nationwide, supported by a team of over 1,300 volunteers. This has allowed them to support over 55,000 families – or around 150,000 people – with over 15.0 million meals to families keep them fed, whilst saving 5,600 tonnes of surplus food from landfill. More than just the food, the Community Grocery also provides members with a free wrap-around service which includes support and access to courses which cover essential topics from debt management, cooking classes, job clubs, and more.
Dixon adds: “Since the pandemic, the phrase ‘community grocer’ has almost become its very own term for organisations like this, which all stems from this first initiative. The way the Community Grocery supports people through the wrap-around services is incredible, and not only benefits the families and individuals in need, but we think is great news for our industry and our colleagues in the long run. It supports people through the financial challenges they are facing in a way which allows them to get back to shopping in mainstream retailers in the future, creating a steady stream of future customers.”
