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This week, Paul looks at how we should measure success vs equality.

As the year has stretched on through lockdown, the C word is starting to crop up a lot. With department stores opening their Christmas shops and advent calendars hitting the shelves, consumers hoping for a big end of the year party to celebrate the end of 2020, there’s no denying that Christmas is definitely not cancelled.

However, many retailers are still being cautious with their Christmas ordering, and rightly so. With the lockdown guidance changing on a near weekly basis and varying guidelines across the UK, the thought of surplus festive stock is a scary one. But no matter how big or small the celebrations may be, the country will still need gravy, chocolate and crackers to see us through December. Here’s some things to think about when you’re adding to basket:

Don’t just stick to snowflakes and Christmas trees – These won’t stand the test of time after 25^th December and won’t be as easy to remarket for the Spring Holidays. Try Shortbread House of Edinburgh beautiful tins that are almost too pretty to give away or the Farmhouse Biscuits Regency range for fun flavours. If you’ve got a gap in your selection for children’s gifting then Pico Chocolate tortas and fun and offer a great point of difference.

Try modern flavours – Trends from previous years have shown that traditional Christmas food items such as mince pies and Christmas Cake are on the decline, especially amongst younger consumers. Millennials have been hitting their local stores more than ever during lockdown, so cash in on their trade by making sure you’ve got some more modern flavours to keep them coming back for more. Try Chocolate Story for ‘grown up’ chocolate bars and Crosta & Mollica for great Panettone.

Don’t forget about the 4-legged friends – The pet market is worth millions of pounds in the UK, and now more than ever we are treating our pets. If we aren’t able to see friends and family from further afield then animals will be reaping the rewards. Try Denzels and The Dig Treat Co for perfect pick for pooches.

Pick up your All-Year-Round catalogue – We have over 4000 products available all year

This week, Paul looks at the importance of keeping independent producers in independent retailers.

This week, Paul talks about what business governance will look like post Covid.

This week, Paul explores going back to the office after lockdown and the rise of flexible working.

One thing that’s really important to us, and to our customers, is having a wide selection of organic products available to choose form. There has been a huge rise in interest in organic products in recent years, and this has been heightened by the Coronavirus pandemic as people looked to eat more healthily to boost their immune systems, and also started shopping local and supporting independent businesses.

When buying organic, you know that you that you are buying items that you are supporting farmers and producers that are trying to grow in a more ethical way, without using harsh chemicals on the land. With more and more of us trying to move to a more sustainable lifestyle, choosing organic is an easy way to start making a difference.

As well as picking organic fruit and vegetables, there are endless possibilities to pick from when doing your weekly shop, from easy swaps to everyday essentials, to indulgent treats, and we’ve got a great range to choose from. We want to ensure that we have organic products available across all our categories including Chilled and Seasonal collections.

Browse all our organic products here.

Top 10 Organic Lines

1. MR01 Mr Organic - Chopped Tomatoes (BPA Free) - 12 x 400g
2. RUD61 Rude Health - Almond Drink - 6 x 1L
3. YTDF39 Tideford Organics - Lentil & Spinach Dahl Soup (14 min DSL) - 6 x 600g
4. MBE21 Luscombe Drinks - Sicilian Lemonade - 12 x 740ml
5. HIL35 Biona - Coconut Milk - 6 x 400ml
6. LCY01 Lucy Bee - Extra Virgin Fair Trade Organic Raw Coconut Oil - 3 x 300ml
7. HTH30 Hilltop Honey - Organic Acacia Honey - 6 x 370g
8. BEV513 Belvoir - Organic Elderflower Cordial - 6 x 500ml
9. YBEN04 Rod

This week, Paul talks about doing more for the planet.

This week Paul looks at the positivity needed for the remaining months of 2020.

You might have seen that we recently released our Impact Report which includes all the things we have been doing as a company to improve our impact on the planet. Part of being a B Corp means that we are determined to be a force for good, by doing our bit for the people and planet ahead of profits. 

One of the things that we pride ourselves on, is that our employees share the values that we hold as a company. And we are all trying to do our bit to ensure that we leave the planet in a better way that we found it, even if it’s just with small changes. Now that the majority of us are working from home, it is even more important for us to do our bit, so I asked the team what they’ve been doing at home:

Ashton

“I’m definitely a more conscious consumer – have switched household cleaning products to eco-friendly and changing/choosing new general products based on sustainability; packaging & production. Plus choosing to try more vegan products and cooking more vegetarian dishes.”

Lisa

“Only one small thing, scattered a few seed bombs in the garden to encourage the bees. They are taking a while to come up but hopefully they will look amazing some time soon to tempt the bees.”

Paul C

“Now working from home so not driving as much. I am loads better a recycling things in the right bins. We have been investigating lots of great sustainable initiatives for the Food Hall Project. I am repairing more things at home rather than just getting a new one. Saves money too”

Ben

“I’ve stopped buying shower gel… I am still washing though, just using bars of soap and buying from LUSH so there’s no plastic wrap.”

Amber

“I’m still trying to reduce my meat consumption, so I’m actively having 2 or 3 veggie based meals during the week. I’ve also been sharing or giving things away to my neighbours recently- so if I’m having a clear out and there’s things I no longer want then I offer them out, if I have food that’s close to expiry or if I just have a lot of something, I’ll share it out. It’s nice because it reduces waste and it brings the neighbourhood together a bit more, like the old days when you’d lend your neighbour some sugar.”

Lizzie

“Few little things I do… 1) Pick up litter on my walks at the weekend, especially by the lovely local duck pond 2) Use my local shops – butcher, grocer, local co-op and post office/shop 3) Walk or cycle to shops instead of using my car.”

Rachel B

“I have planted loads more plants in my garden recently to encourage insects, enjoying bees and butterflies in the garden at the moment. Also bought a stone bird bath at the weekend to encourage the bird life in the garden as well.”

Faye

“I have started to pu

This week, Paul looks at self-sacrificial leadership.