Community Shop, the award-winning social enterprise and part of the Company Shop Group, is set to open a new store in North Bransholme, Hull, next week. The store will welcome its first visitors on 11 December at 9.30am and marks the 15th location in the social supermarket network.
The expansion is supported by McCain Foods, the UK’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products, which has previously funded a Community Shop in Eastfield near Scarborough. McCain Foods will continue its support through product donations for the new Hull store.
Community Shop works with manufacturers and retailers to redistribute surplus, in-date food and household items. These products, which are surplus due to overproduction, mislabelling, or seasonal packaging, are sold at discounted prices. Profits are reinvested into the community, providing families with choice, dignity and longer-term support beyond short-term food aid.
The new North Bransholme store will feature three connected spaces: a Community Store, a Community Hub and a Community Kitchen. The store will offer discounted groceries, including the Plenty for 20 range, which provides fruit, vegetables and bread for just 20p. Profits from the store will fund the Community Hub, which delivers skills development, confidence-building and holistic support for residents. The Community Kitchen will provide a café offering home-cooked meals, with children eating for free every day.
Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, commented: “For the past 12 years, Community Shop has not only provided our members with access to deeply discounted food and household products, but also provided life-changing programmes and holistic support so that our members develop their own capabilities and feel empowered to deliver a positive future for themselves. Thanks to the support of McCain Foods, we’re delighted to continue our mission, building stronger individuals and more confident communities, and we look forward to welcoming families from across the North Bransholme community into their new store.”
Jillian Moffatt, Regional President GB&I at McCain, added: “It’s a privilege to support an initiative like Community Shop and we’re delighted to further strengthen our partnership through the opening of the new store in Hull next week.”
The new store is located within the North Bransholme Community Centre on Lothian Way, sharing the building with the Paul Ingle Boxing Academy. Both organisations will continue to operate side by side, supporting the local community.
The store operates on a free membership basis for those on means-tested benefits who live locally. For more information, visit www.companyshop.co.uk/community-shop
