Announcement - potential closure of Daily Bread Co-operative Cambridge

An open letter announcing the difficulties we are currently facing.

Dear customers and friends,

As many of you know, we have been running as an independent co-operative wholefoods shop in King’s Hedges for over 30 years. This is the announcement we didn’t want to have to make, but sadly, we have no option. We are regrettably facing closure.

Unfortunately, due to unavoidable economic difficulties, we may need to close in the very near future unless there is a radical turnaround in customer shopping habits. We are asking our customers and community to please ‘use us or lose us’ and show support by shopping with us now and in coming months. Every single purchase counts. We hope that together we can keep our co-operative community healthy and thriving.

We have been unable to employ new staff to replace those that have left, thus we are operating at a reduced scale, and you may see the effects of this with, for example, more pre-packed products replacing those we pack, fewer staff around the shop, and slightly longer response times with communications.

Please be patient with us as we try our best.

Various economic crises have affected everyone financially, and we understand that people are having to adapt their shopping choices. If you wish to support us but are unable to due to this, we'd really appreciate it if you could spread the word about us by telling friends and family, posting reviews, and sharing on social media.

With gratitude,

The Daily Bread Co-op Team

Fairtrade Fortnight

Fairtrade Fortnight is an annual campaign promoting the concept of fair trade, encouraging consumers to consider choosing Fairtrade products. This year’s campaign highlights the urgent threat to the future of the foods we love and the livelihoods of the people who grow them as they face the worsening effects of climate crisis.

Then we have the current financial crisis, which, according to Fairtrade.org.uk “is taking a heavy toll on smallholder farmers and workers, with the costs of fuel, fertiliser and food all increasing beyond what is affordable. If they aren’t getting a fair price to cover their costs at this critical time, it means they won’t be able to grow food in the future.”

“Coffee, bananas and chocolate could soon be much more difficult to buy.”

— Fairtrade.org.uk

Fairtrade certification ensures that farmers and workers receive fair prices for their products, enabling them to invest in measures such as sustainable land use and water management that help towards mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Without our support for fairer prices today, farmers will find it even harder to tackle the climate and economic challenges of the future. ​​ 

At Daily Bread, we’re committed to promoting Fairtrade because we believe in a fairer world. We know that some of the products we sell, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate, are produced in countries where farmers and workers can be exploited and paid very low wages. We believe that by selling Fairtrade products, we can make a positive difference in the lives of these farmers and workers, and advocate for greater transparency and accountability in global supply chains. Throughout Fairtrade Fortnight we have a display table showcasing some of our Fairtrade products, and when shopping at Daily Bread in general, look out for the Fairtrade certification symbol on product packaging.

By choosing Fairtrade now, you’re taking a stand with farmers and workers worldwide for fairer incomes, so together we can protect the future of our food. ​​ 

‘Love Your Local Supplier’ Month (part 2) with Emily's Corner

We celebrate February, (the ‘month of love’) each year by showcasing local businesses whose products stock our shelves. This year we’ll be sharing Q&As with some of our nearest and dearest independent suppliers on our blog.

We hope that by highlighting their stories you’ll get to know the lovely humans behind the hard work, and help support them too!

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LOVE YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER:
Q&A With EMILY’S CORNER

In the second of our series of local supplier Q&As we speak with Emily of Emily’s Corner. We started stocking Emily’s hand-poured eco-friendly scented candles, wax melts, and reed diffusers last year.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I'm Emily, a candle maker from Cottenham. I live with my boyfriend Joe and cat Willow. I work full time for a commercial interior design company and whenever I am not working, I'm creating products in my kitchen!

Describe your business:

I make eco-friendly soy wax melts, candles and reed diffusers. All ingredients I use are eco-friendly and natural, sustainability is a huge passion of mine. No plastic is used and no nasty chemicals. Let's save the planet, one candle at a time!

What inspires you/your business?

A lot of my scent blends are inspired by nature. I love exploring and the outdoors so I try to bring the outside in with my products.  

Why did you decide to start your business?

I've always been a creative person, studying art and fashion in college, and I wanted to do something for myself on the side of my full time job. A friend bought me a candle making kit for a birthday a few years ago and I started making gifts for family and friends. Now, a few years later I have a brand which has expanded and continues to grow! And who doesn't love a candle?!

Has the direction of your business changed over time?

I began only making and selling candles, then after lots of experimenting and testing I decided to delve into wax melts and reed diffusers! I love creating new products and growing my range however I aim to always keep Emily's Corner heavily based on home fragrance and handmade.

What challenges have you faced as a small business?

Balancing work, life and a small business is definitely tricky! Around busy periods (Christmas!) I struggle to think of anything but stock and keeping on top of orders. However, hearing lovely feedback from customers makes the hard work completely worth it.

What's the most rewarding aspect of running your own business?

I attend lots of local markets and I absolutely love speaking to and meeting customers. I get such a warm, fuzzy feeling when customers return to my stall and like my products. Also seeing return orders online and reading customer feedback is super rewarding!

What advice would you give to new businesses that are just starting out?

Organisation! It's tricky keeping on top of everything sometimes and Excel spreadsheets are a saviour to being organised and running a small business. Also, run with your creativity!

What's next for your business?

I'd love to grow the business with more products, scents and gift options this year, so keep your eyes peeled!

Anything else you'd like to mention?

Thank you for all the local support on my journey so far. And a huuuuuge shout out to The Daily Bread for their amazing store!

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Thank you so much Emily!

Connect with Emily via:
Instagram: instagram.com/emilyscorneruk
Website: Emily’s Corner

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Simple ways to support an independent local business:

• shop small and independent - spend with them as opposed to larger businesses. Even purchasing something low cost will help as every penny can count. See the Just A Card campaign as an example.

• shop local - keep local businesses IN business!

• word of mouth - tell people about/recommend them.

• share their online posts or create your own for them to share.

• write them a review/testimonial.

• thank them and show your appreciation :)

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February is Daily Bread Co-op’s ‘Love Your Local Supplier’ Month!

We celebrate February, (the ‘month of love’) each year by showcasing local businesses whose products stock our shelves! This year we’ll be sharing Q&As with some of our nearest and dearest independent suppliers on our blog.

We hope that by highlighting their stories you’ll get to know the lovely humans behind the hard work, and help support them too!

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LOVE YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER:
Q&A With TRIPLE KISS DESIGNS

First up is Hannah of Triple Kiss Designs. We started stocking Hannah’s items last year as our greetings card buyer had been on the lookout for plantable seed paper cards.

Triple Kiss Designs cards are a great fit for Daily Bread as they are eco-friendly with fun concepts and designs, and we love that they are hand-delivered by bike from a small local business!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hi, I'm Hannah, 34 years old and I live in Cambridge with my boyfriend and adorable pet pooch named Lady. We relocated here almost 7 years ago now and just love everything about Cambridge so have stayed put.

Describe your business:

My business is an eco-friendly greetings cards and prints business with a main focus on plantable cards. I aim to be as eco-friendly (or planet-friendly, as I sometimes say) as possible so only use recycled materials in everything I do, there is no plastic to be seen and I buy from suppliers that care for our planet too.

Plus, the plantable cards give back to our precious pollinators in terms of providing food, and I donate a portion of my profits to a local environmental conservation organisation.

What inspires you/your business?

Inspiration for my business comes from a few sources; a wanting to help spread smiles and positivity in a world that can sometimes seem a bit doom and gloom, plus a wanting to give back to this beautiful planet we call home.

Why did you decide to start your business?

I designed my first few cards in the first lockdown to send to friends and colleagues to help spread some cheer. I also designed some new home cards upon hearing the news ones of my friends had bought her first house. It was my boyfriend who said they were good enough to sell, so I uploaded a few designs to Thortful and hey presto, people started buying them! This gave me the confidence to design more and open my own Etsy shop, and the business has grown from there.

Has the direction of your business changed over time?

Yes, absolutely! I care passionately for our planet and the environment so decided I could only grow my business if I could be eco-friendly, and to be as eco-friendly as possible. That is when I started my plantable card ranges. These cards are zero-waste, biodegrading away once planted in the soil, leaving just beautiful wildflowers.

What challenges have you faced as a small business?

Since I've been running my business we have been in funny times - the pandemic, lockdowns, cost of living crisis, so I never truly know how each month will pan out in terms of sales. It certainly keeps me on my toes! It continues to be a learning curve too, mainly an enjoyable one, but I have had to admit to myself I need help in certain aspects of the business, which has been tough!

What's the most rewarding aspect of running your own business?

I love seeing people's reactions to my cards, it brings me such joy to see the smiles on peoples faces when they pick up one of my cards and exclaim it would be perfect for a loved one of theirs. It is great to know that you've put something out into the world that brings others happiness.

I also love hearing feedback from recipients of one of my cards. A friend recently gave one of my plantable cards to their 90 year old grandmother, and out of all the gifts she got, she was most excited about the card that she can plant. Hearing that was truly heartwarming.

What advice would you give to new businesses that are just starting out?

Just go for it, don't doubt yourself, and don't give up! It's tough going at times, but so so worth it.

What's next for your business?

The plan for 2023 is to continue expanding my range of cards and prints, and to get into more physical shops so more people have the opportunity to buy planet-friendly, plantable cards that will not only bring them and the recipient joy, but the bees and butterflies too.

Anything else you'd like to mention?

A huge thank you to all of you at Daily Bread Cooperative for stocking my cards and featuring Triple Kiss Designs in this feature :)

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Thank you so much Hannah!

Connect with Hannah at Triple Kiss Designs via:
Instagram: instagram.com/TripleKissDesigns
Website: Triple Kiss Designs

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Simple ways to support an independent local business:

• shop small and independent - spend with them as opposed to larger businesses. Even purchasing something low cost will help as every penny can count. See the Just A Card campaign as an example.

• shop local - keep local businesses IN business!

• word of mouth - tell people about/recommend them.

• share their online posts or create your own for them to share.

• write them a review/testimonial.

• thank them and show your appreciation :)

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