October 2021

Hi There!

Thank you so much for continuing to shop with us at Stroudco. We really appreciate the support for our local supply chains by local people. Not only does this help our producers earn a living but it assists the welfare of the planet and in particular our local patch by reducing waste, supporting systems that look after the soil, connecting our local Stroud economy and redistributing any surplus so that as much as possible of everything grown locally is used and/or consumed. 

As you may be aware a similar, but much larger-scale operation in Milan has just won £1m via the Earthshot Waste Reduction prize. Though considerably smaller, our aims are similar to theirs and we are now part of a growing new co-operative at the Trinity Rooms and are working on turning this wonderful old building into a community food hub, with food training, kitchens, growing areas and more. If anyone is interested in becoming involved please do get in touch with us, and of course as always please help spread the good news about Stroudco and what we do.

Now in the last couple of weeks of October we have plenty to share in this latest newsletter including our very exciting open day on the 12th November at the Trinity Rooms, some fantastic new produce on our shopfront, some changes to our donation listings, a note on climate action, and more.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Come Visit Us On Our Stroudco Open Day

Come join the fun at our Trinity Rooms Community Hub (Field Road, Stroud, GL5 4HZ) on the 12th November. Drop in anytime from 9am till 12pm (noon). 

• See how we operate & explore how we support local whilst meeting our Stroud suppliers and trying out some tasty samples of their fantastic produce ranges. 
• Find out about our fantastic volunteering opportunities.
• Get a sneak preview of our Christmas range soon to come.
• Say hello to some of our Trinity Room Partners and learn about the exciting future of our shared hub as a community space inspiring change, creating connections, encouraging climate action, and reducing food waste whilst tackling poverty.

A great opportunity to get some behind the scenes insight into the local supply chain and the amasing producers and suppliers on our door-step. All with completly free entry. So spread the word and pop along, we look foward to seeing you there!

Nothing Says Autumn Like A Nice Hearty Pud With Warming Flavours:

Our wonderful Welsh Cake Lady (A.K.A Stroud Baker Kerry) – will be moving to a new kitchen in January giving her the opportunity to increase her production and range! The move will mean that January and possibly some of February she will be taking a break from baking but once settled she promises to be able to cook up a storm afterwards!

In the lead up to her transition we are delighted to have a whole new range of her delicious goodies coming to our shopfront so that we have time to get taste testing and stocking up whilst we can. 

The list includes Tiffin, Whole Lemon Polenta, Lemon Drizzle Loaf, Rich Chocolate Cake Loaf, Ginger Parkin, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Bread and Butter Pudding, Gluten free Brownies, Traditional Gluten Free Welsh Cakes, and The Weekly Special Welsh Cakes (with the flavour differing from week to week).

What Would You Like To Be Available On Our Online Shopfront?

Is there something you regularly buy that isn’t in our listings? Get in touch and let us know what you want or need and we will look into the possibility of being able to provide it locally and/sustainably for you via our shopfront.

For example if you have any baking fancies, like something special for a celebration or gathering, or maybe a new bake/recipe/flavour craving, then our wonderful baker The Welsh Cake Lady is happy to have a go at whipping up your requests through us at Stroudco.

How Many of Stroudco Themed Quiz Questions Can You Answer?

1. Infamous at Stroud’s markets for their vegan Indian dishes
2. A local college of innovation who share from their gardens
3. Award winning wines
4. Known for a particular Welsh treat
5. Stroud town centre plastic free shop
6. Stroudco opens for orders this day every week
7. The third of the four Stroudco values
8. The shared hub in which Stroudco operates
9. The platform on which Stroudco’s shop operates
10. The first of the four Stroudco values
11. Handmade cheese produced in Leonard Stanley
12. Their seasonal boxes of veg are available on the Stroudco shop
13. Handmakes Artisan sweet treats decorated with flowers
14. Ethical and organic sourcing family regularly at Stroud’s markets
15. The delicious ethical coffee with a range of blends
16. A Stroud town centre community shop for ethical, sustainable, and biodiversity
17. The Stroudco shop closes at 8am each week on this day
18. Stroud dairy farm based at Oakbrook Farm near Hawkwood College
19. Her handmade non-surgical masks come in a array of patterns
20. If we say Zero, you say ______

Generous Donations:

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who has contributed by way of donations. Once again we will be transferring over £1,500 to the Stroud Food Bank and to The Long Table at the end of the month due to your continuing generosity. 

As many of you may know already the Freezers of Love ready-made meals distribution system put in place by The Long Table around Stroud, and of which we have been an active part for the past year or more, has now run its course. As a result we have stopped stocking their ready-made meals and collecting donations for them. 

In looking to put an alternative plan into action we have decided to introduce donations for Stroud’s six different locally run Community Food Hubs where donors will be able to choose which one they would like to support. We are hoping to raise much needed funding for each of them through continuing donations so that good fresh local foods can be distributed within the catchment area of each hub to help those who are unable to regularly access it.

We shall be phasing this in on our online listing over the coming weeks to replace the current Long Table and Stroud Food Bank options we have on there.

PLEASE NOTE: Both The Long Table and Stroud Food Bank can of course still be supported directly. To do so, visit their individual websites for more info on how you can help.

Yoke House Homemade Ice Cream – A Very Special Treat:

You may have noticed the newest Stroud supplier on our shopfront, the very tasty Yoke House Homemade Ice Cream (and sorbets). In celebration of welcoming them onboard Stroudco Director and regular customer Liz shares her review of their delicious & creamy treats:

After first tasting Yoke House homemade ice cream at Stroud Brewery a few months ago and being much impressed, I was delighted to see this added recently to our Stroudco list. 

I ordered the damson, one of my favorite flavours, and was not disappointed! It is all that the label promises: rich and creamy with a wonderful intensity of flavour, due to the use of home -grown fruit and local organic milk, cream, butter and eggs. 

Yoke House is a small family-run business near Painswick. No wonder it is so delicious – the chef Sophie used to run “Sophie’s Restaurant”, the much -praised former French restaurant in Minchinhampton. 

While the price may seem a little high, I felt it was worth it, as the intense flavour means a little can go a long way. If you have ice-cream lovers in your family like I do, treat yourselves and support a local business at the same time.

– Liz Whiteside, October 2021

If you would like to share your own review of a product or supplier on our shop front then we would love for you to get in touch with us with your feedback at marketing@stroudco.org.uk

Shop Early & Local This Christmas With Stroudco – Let Us Do The Leg Work For You!:

Yes that’s right Christmas is coming. It may seem early to be mentioning the C-word but with it being almost November already, it is coming round quickly with less then 10 weeks to go, and many of our suppliers are getting their festive offerings ready to promote. 

We’ll be releasing updates in its lead up as well as rounding up our full Christmas List in our next e-newsletter. In the meantime our fabulous supplier Artisan Jack UK have plenty on our shop front to keep us nice and cozy as the weather gets colder, including new products short beef ribs and pork belly.

COP26 Call To Action – What Can We All Do?:

In a matter of days, world leaders will gather in Glasgow for COP26, the most pivotal UN global climate summit that the world has ever known. 

At Stroudco we continue to revisit our green credentials and seek even better ways to minimise our carbon footprint, support a more sustainable food economy and promote biodiversity. Our efforts so far even got us a mention by MP Siobhan Bailey at a recent plastic waste debate at the House of Commons. You can click here for more on this!

We do though recognize more still needs to be done to further improve, in the meantime one thing we would love all our customers to do as a contribution to COP26 is to join us in helping to support and publicise this event below:

STROUD VIGIL FOR THE PLANET

SATURDAY 6th NOVEMBER 12 NOON TO 12.30PM IN STOUD HIGH STREET/corner with Kendrick Street

Please bring messages, placards and banners to display. This is part of the Global day of Action for Climate Justice called by the COP26 Coalition, when towns and cities all over the world will be demonstrating and marching, demanding that leaders at COP26 step up and make the bold commitments needed to prevent climate catastrophe. 

For more information on the event email whiteside@gn.acp.org

Ordering With Us At Stroudco

Our online Open Food Network shopfront is open for orders 8am Friday to 8am Wednesday every week, to make an order please follow the steps:

1. Go to https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/stroudco/shop
2. Click the padlock and login icons at the top of the page
3. Log in using the email you are signed up with (or use the sign up tab, if you don’t already have an account).
4. Click on our Shop tab and add what you would like to your basket.
5. Click on your basket and follow the check out instructions to place your order.
6. Eagerly await your order to be delivered to your door Friday afternoon – or if you have chosen to collect – we will see you at our Trinity Room Hub midday Friday.

If you need to order on behalf of vulnerable others, as well as yourself, or you wish to make an order as a group, organisation, neighbourhood, or community then please contact us at manager@stroudco.org.uk for more information.

We Love To Chat

Please check out our social media pages for updates. We love hearing from you on social media so please tag us in your comments, tweets, posts, pics, & shares, including #stroudco to help spread the word of what we do.

We also welcome any feedback you may like to share and hope you will continue to shop with us in future weeks! A final BIG Thank You from all of us on the Stroudco Team for being such a vital part of our community and supporting what we do.

For help with a particular issue or query please email manager@stroudco.co.uk

More updates to come in our next newsletter so get following our social media and subscribing to our newsletters by entering your email in the subscribe box on our website contact page to be added to our mailing list today.