A presentation made at the Sourcing Local conference on February 6th 2012, about some of the issues involved in setting up a community organic/fairtrade buying group.

1. Wivenhoe Buying Group
Maria Iacovou

2. What we are
• A co-op buying from Infinity Foods
– Why Infinity?
• Running 7 or 8 years
• 15 or 20 families
• Was monthly, now bi-monthly
• Order £800-£1600 worth each time
• Has “reproduced” twice in its lifetime
• Enables members to buy organic and/or fairtrade products at
Tesco Value prices

3. What we are not
• Not a local food initiative
– (though could be linked to one)
• Not much use for supplying perishables
– (though could be linked to local meat or vegbox schemes)
• Not a business
– (though it could be, if the organiser needed the money)
• Not the basis for a social, political or lifestyle group
– (though it could be, if the organiser had time and inclination)
• Not a good way for people to try new products
– (can easily do this, but it takes a lot of time)

4. What happens
Email members with catalogue and order form
10 days before Give dates for returning completed orders
Give delivery date, ask for help with unpacking
3 [working] days
Collate orders and email to Infinity
before
Arrange to work at home
As soon as delivery arrives, text helpers
Delivery day Unpack – sort into piles
Check prices
Only then, let anyone take their food away!
3-5 days after Bank cheques
7-10 days after Post cheque to Infinity

5. What you need to set one up
• A biggish and accessible SPACE for unloading and storage
• PEOPLE: 10-20 families
– Not everyone orders every time
– Single people often don’t use the required volumes
• TIME: No more than an hour or so in between deliveries
– Send out emails
– Collate order and send to Infinity
• TIME: A day when you are available/flexible for delivery
– Unpacking itself takes only around half an hour
• TIME: Being around for people to pick up their orders
• SKILL: Excel, and organisation

6. Things that can go wrong
• SUPPLIER
– Sends the wrong product, or fails to send a product
– Doesn’t deliver on time
• MEMBERS
– Order stuff they didn’t actually want
– Order stuff they thought they wanted but don’t like
– Order from outdated catalogue
– Phone with orders or amendments
• UNPACKING
– Things go into wrong piles, particularly toilet roll and flour
– People go home with the wrong things
• ORGANISER
– Any number of errors

7. Other issues
• Taking trade away from local shops
– Informal survey of members asking where they shopped
– Encouraging results, but stay vigilant

8. Money
• Cheques or bank transfer
– Cash is more problematic
• Payment up front the first time, and on collection thereafter
– Or by bank transfer, if they are going to be late collecting
• A deposit of £15 each

9. Contact
• maria@essex.ac.uk

10. back

11. 1 170186 8x100g organic Banana & Blueberry Raw Cracker 3.75 Biscru 22.50 0
1 170187 8x100g organic Fig & Lemon Raw Cracker 3.75 Biscru 22.50 0
1 170212 18x50g organic Dark Chocolate Coated Rice Cakes 1.45 BioFair 16.30 V 3.26
1 170215 10x60g organic Milk Choc Coated Mini Rice Cakes 2.09 BioFair 13.05 V 2.61
1 170305 10x2 organic Pizza Bases 2.29 Bio-Idea 17.15 0
1 170315 6x500g organic Crusty White Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170316 6x500g organic Seeded Wholemeal Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170330 6x375g Gluten & Wheat-Free Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170395 12x120g organic Spelt Cakes 1.39 Fiorentini 12.50 0
1 170425 12x250g organic Traditional Oatcakes 1.59 Clearspring r 14.25 0
1 170427 12x250g organic Sundried Tomato & Herb Oatcakes 1.75 Clearspring r 15.75 0
1 170430 12x250g organic Sea Veg & Black Pepper Oatcakes 1.75 Clearspring r 15.75 0
1 170455 12x100g organic Rice Cakes No Added Salt 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170460 12x100g organic Rice Cakes Salted 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170465 12x100g organic Rice Cakes Multigrain Salted 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170470 12x130g organic Corn Cakes - no added salt 1.15 Clearspring 10.35 0
1 170506 12x112g organic Tamari Black Sesame Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170507 12x150g Miso Rice Cakes 3.19 Clearspring 28.70 0
1 170511 12x100g organic Teriyaki Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170513 12x102g organic Tamari Sea Vegetable Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170515 12x150g Tamari Garlic Rice Cakes 3.19 Clearspring 28.70 0
1 170520 12x50g organic Rice Crackers - Olive Oil 1.99 Clearspring 17.90 0
1 170525 12x50g organic Rice Crackers - Tamari 1.99 Clearspring 17.90 0
1 171995 8x300g All Purpose Crumb 2.49 Orgran 14.95 0
1 172007 6x125g Toasted Corn Crispbread 1.99 Orgran 8.95 0
1 172012 6x125g Toasted Buckwheat Crispibread 1.99 Orgran 8.95 0
1 172015 6x125g Toasted Multigrain Crispibread 2.39 Orgran 10.75 0
1 173005 12x130g organic Original Rice Cakes (No.1) 1.49 Kallo Foods 13.40 0

12. Instructions:
1. Find the item you want in the Excel catalogue.
2. Highlight and copy cells A to K in the relevant row. **don't** copy the whole row - it won't paste properly!
3. Leave column H blank. Type your initials into column A.
4. Type in the number of packs you want
5. The total cost including VAT should be calculated automatically. But check it looks realistic.
6. PLEASE use the current Excel catalogue. Don't cut & paste from an old order form - the prices may be wrong.
Product Pack size Organic?Product description RRP Brand J Price VAT? VAT Number Total
code per pack per pack ordered cost
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

13. 1 170186 8x100g organic Banana & Blueberry Raw Cracker 3.75 Biscru 22.50 0
1 170187 8x100g organic Fig & Lemon Raw Cracker 3.75 Biscru 22.50 0
1 170212 18x50g organic Dark Chocolate Coated Rice Cakes 1.45 BioFair 16.30 V 3.26
1 170215 10x60g organic Milk Choc Coated Mini Rice Cakes 2.09 BioFair 13.05 V 2.61
1 170305 10x2 organic Pizza Bases 2.29 Bio-Idea 17.15 0
1 170315 6x500g organic Crusty White Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170316 6x500g organic Seeded Wholemeal Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170330 6x375g Gluten & Wheat-Free Bread Mix 2.15 Glebe Farm 9.60 0
1 170395 12x120g organic Spelt Cakes 1.39 Fiorentini 12.50 0
1 170425 12x250g organic Traditional Oatcakes 1.59 Clearspring r 14.25 0
1 170427 12x250g organic Sundried Tomato & Herb Oatcakes 1.75 Clearspring r 15.75 0
1 170430 12x250g organic Sea Veg & Black Pepper Oatcakes 1.75 Clearspring r 15.75 0
1 170455 12x100g organic Rice Cakes No Added Salt 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170460 12x100g organic Rice Cakes Salted 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170465 12x100g organic Rice Cakes Multigrain Salted 0.79 Clearspring 7.10 0
1 170470 12x130g organic Corn Cakes - no added salt 1.15 Clearspring 10.35 0
1 170506 12x112g organic Tamari Black Sesame Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170507 12x150g Miso Rice Cakes 3.19 Clearspring 28.70 0
1 170511 12x100g organic Teriyaki Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170513 12x102g organic Tamari Sea Vegetable Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37
1 170515 12x150g Tamari Garlic Rice Cakes 3.19 Clearspring 28.70 0
1 170520 12x50g organic Rice Crackers - Olive Oil 1.99 Clearspring 17.90 0
1 170525 12x50g organic Rice Crackers - Tamari 1.99 Clearspring 17.90 0
1 171995 8x300g All Purpose Crumb 2.49 Orgran 14.95 0
1 172007 6x125g Toasted Corn Crispbread 1.99 Orgran 8.95 0
1 172012 6x125g Toasted Buckwheat Crispibread 1.99 Orgran 8.95 0
1 172015 6x125g Toasted Multigrain Crispibread 2.39 Orgran 10.75 0
1 173005 12x130g organic Original Rice Cakes (No.1) 1.49 Kallo Foods 13.40 0

14. Instructions:
1. Find the item you want in the Excel catalogue.
2. Highlight and copy cells A to K in the relevant row. **don't** copy the whole row - it won't paste properly!
3. Leave column H blank. Type your initials into column A.
4. Type in the number of packs you want
5. The total cost including VAT should be calculated automatically. But check it looks realistic.
6. PLEASE use the current Excel catalogue. Don't cut & paste from an old order form - the prices may be wrong.
Product Pack size Organic?Product description RRP Brand J Price VAT? VAT Number Total
code per pack per pack ordered cost
MI 170506 12x112g organic Tamari Black Sesame Rice Cakes 2.25 Clearspring 16.85 V 3.37 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00