Essential – Affordable Wholefoods & More
Essential are a workers cooperative specialising in vegan, vegetarian & organic food, ecological household products and cruelty-free toiletries.
Traditionally a wholesaler who promote cooperative and community principles, Essential also supplies buying groups nationwide. -If you can team up with another three households (could be nearby neighbours or family & friends further afield) you can sign up as a community food group to be able to order natural, organic foods at affordable prices.
Ordering from Essential is a superb way to avoid regular supermarket use, increase control of where your food comes from, support ethical food production, and gain access to a wider selection of items suitable for dietary requirements that may not be easily available otherwise.
Super! Thanks for highlighting these, Janis.
Hi, I live in Shetland where there are few shops so we depend on online purchasing. Can you suggest some recommended online retailers for Essential’s products? I have emailed them directly but they haven’t replied.
Hi Phil,
It’s a shame that Essential themselves don’t deliver to Scotland, let alone Shetland, otherwise ordering directly from them is possible (for anyone else reading this). It looks like Ethical Superstore may be your best bet. I’ve checked their delivery FAQ and although they don’t specifically mention Shetland they do say, ‘We deliver to almost all post codes in the UK’. They have 114 Essential items in their catalogue. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers,
Sam