How and why we sell what we do…
We think carefully about where our food comes from and make buying decisions that consider nature, animal welfare and people, above profit. We also consider value. If a local and/or organic product feels exorbitantly expensive, we either won’t sell it or offer a cheaper but equally well thought-through alternative.
- Good food from good farming
Our founding principle is ‘good food from good farming’. We source and champion the products we sell from local farmers, producers and growers first, believing that this supports a thriving and resilient local food economy. If we can’t get what we need locally, only then will we go further afield.
- Sourcing locally first
We mostly sell organic or no-spray fruit and veg from local suppliers. We sell non-organic produce to meet customer needs – it’s clearly labelled so that you can make informed buying decisions.
- High welfare, outdoor reared meat
Our meat is always free-range, mostly organic and sourced from farmers we know and trust to uphold high standards of animal welfare and who use small, local abattoirs. We take a nose-to-tail approach, butchering whole carcasses at our butchery in Staverton, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
- No planes, no GMOs
We don’t sell anything that has been airfreighted. We never sell products that contain GMOs.
- Considering people and planet
We think carefully about our non-local product lines; most are organic and purchased through worker-owned cooperatives. We won’t sell products from corporations we consider to be unethical. On the rare occasion we do stock a ‘benchmark’ product from a multi-national (e.g. Green & Black’s chocolate), it must be organic.
- Own-made to the highest standards
The vast majority of ingredients in our BFS own-made products are certified organic. We only use BFS meat in our own-made products and take a ‘nose to tail’ approach to our butchery. If needed, we use RSPO certified organic palm oil which comes from a farmer-owned cooperative in Columbia.
- Reducing plastic where it makes sense
We carefully weigh the use of plastic versus the financial and ethical cost of food wastage. We’re also aware of the fact that plastic is often the packaging option with the lowest carbon footprint. We consider packaging when purchasing items to sell in the shop and avoid the overpackaged. We do not use plastic shopping bags and use a ‘zero to landfill’ waste company, so none of our ‘in-house/own use’ plastics end up in the sea or underground.
- Powered by renewables
A significant part of energy needs come from renewable resources e.g. solar panels and we continue to look at ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
- Paying above the Living Wage
We are proud to pay above the national living wage and when we make a profit, we share it with our staff. We believe that everyone should have access to good, local food and we donate any surplus to local food CIC, Food in Community. We pay our suppliers fairly and on time and always trade with integrity.
- No worker exploitation in our supply chains
Our supply chains rigorously adhere to the modern slavery rules, with most of our suppliers Sedex affiliated, ensuring that no one is exploited in the process of getting food into our shops.
We will always do our best to uphold these rules and continually strive to meet our founding principle of ‘good food from good farming’. We won’t always get it right, but if we slip up, let us know and we’ll make it right.
This is the promise we make to our customers.
