‘Good Food’ is a social enterprise, grocery shop and deli on a mission to do the right thing, not just make money. We want to do our bit to make the food industry more fair and sustainable and make local food affordable and accessible to everyone. We have big ideas for a small shop and we will add value to the community by offering an allotment veg swap, engagement with local food banks, as well as apprenticeships and work experience for residents. It will be a business that is valued by the community, profitable and most importantly, makes all those involved proud. A communal table will offer practical workshops in bread making and seasonal healthy eating. We will help our customers to choose healthy, balanced, locally sourced food options and take a genuine interest in what the community wants. We have premises in the heart of the community will offer practical and unbiased advice, sell great food and contribute to our community by helping customers become more confident cooks.

What we'll deliver:

• Make a community space accessible after hours for functions and meetings
• Regenerate the high street by occupying an empty or boarded up shop
• Sell produce grown in local community gardens
• Improve the appearance of the High Street by planting fresh herbs that customers can help themselves to for free
• Completely refurbish a vacant property
• Create local jobs in an area with high unemployment and equip young people with job skills for life
• Develop a points based loyalty scheme so that the community benefits from local food
• Develop an allotment veg exchange in collaboration with Lewisham Allotments
• Offer quarterly practical workshops and seasonal supper clubs
• Support and encourage other local businesses to occupy other vacant shops

Why it's a great idea:

The local community is really keen for this project to become a reality and support is growing daily. At the moment there are several boarded up shops at risk of conversion to flats, despite the evidence from recent community surveys and consultations of a rapid growth in demand for a new range of independent shops on this high street. We have the support of our local residents association, which is working with the local Council, businesses and residents to re-energise local shopping parades. Good Food Catford will aid the regeneration of the local highstreet by creating an inviting shop window and encouraging other independent shops to open. Premises have been located in a prime position, ideally located for footfall but it has been difficult to let because of its condition. We know other businesses who
are actively looking for premises, and will lead transformation.
Good Food will add value by engagement with the community, and by supplying local food and produce.

Steps to get it done:

• A burgeoning database of local independent and slow food suppliers
• A passion for real seasonal food and a background in Nutritional Therapy
• A well thought out and researched business plan incorporating advice from industry, business experts and accountants
• Previous experience in the Retail and Catering sectors as well as extensive Project Management
• With the help of crowd funding and the growing local support and a pledge from The Mayor of London's High Street Fund

There are so many ways we could add value to the community and make the shop more sustainable. Plans to develop and grow the business include:
- Work with local charities to develop training schemes for vulnerable people of all ages within the first year
- Become zero waste by the end of the first year by cooking usable stock for resale
- Linking with the newly created Abotshall Healthy Lifestyle Centre to buy food from the community garden
- Becoming a hub for local veg box schemes as demand necessitated
- Collaborating with local allotments and residents to grow ‘Catford salad’ bags and arrange surplus veg swaps sell other locally produced fruit and veg
- Weekly low cost seasonal ‘dinner menu’ boxes
- Collaboration with local food banks and local charities
An ideal premises has been located and I am currently awaiting confirmation that the lease terms have been accepted.
If for any reason the project fails to deliver we will refund all donations.