We are all aware of plastic waste these days. We know plastic is providing more landfill than we can ever deal with, filling our oceans and damaging the planet. And yet we still pop to the supermarket where, even now, everything seems to be wrapped in plastic of some sort, adding to unnecessary waste.

So what can we do?

Say ‘hello’ to Tang Hall Food Coop. A funky food shop in a shipping container which is part of the Tang Hall Community Centre.

I knew about the Food Coop before I actually went there, but what I didn’t know is what an inviting, friendly space it is and how reasonable the pricing would be.

There was salad, pak choi, and herbs available the day I went on a pay-as-you feel basis, as well as lovely bread, but there is also a whole host of household staples; pasta, dried fruits, nuts, rice etc. in big tubs for you to buy directly without any additional packaging.

Tang Hall Food Coop is funded through The Peoples Health Trust, The Joseph Rowtree Foundation and Tang Hall Big Local. The aim of the coop is to help get the local community together regularly and form community ties, learn how to grow food, make delicious meals with seasonal local produce, gain confidence and feel healthier.

Beena, the smiley volunteer there, was so enthusiastic.

“I love coming here, I love working here, I love the whole concept.”

“We grow our own veg as a community on site, some we have available on a pay-as-you-feel basis, some we cook up and share together. Now having the dried food available too you can do much of your weekly shop here locally without actually having any packaging to throw away.”

And the welcome you get is something else.

The shop is open most days for a couple of hours, check out www.THCCentre.co.uk for further information. And new volunteers are always welcome to grow the veg and  help out with the shop.  The pay-as-you-feel produce available changes on a daily basis, so you need to pop down regularly and pick up what there is.

And they run a breakfast club every Friday morning at 9.30am.

Find out all about the Tang Hall Food Coop on thccentre.co.uk/tang-hall-food-coop/, or better still, get down there and do a shop!