A new community grocery store in Woking, Surrey, aims to help families struggling with the cost of living by providing heavily discounted food in a setting that feels like a normal supermarket.
Woking Community Grocery, located at Welcome Church, opened its doors on Thursday with the goal of restoring dignity for shoppers who are finding it hard to make ends meet.
Darren Green, who works at the shop, said he wanted customers to feel they are having a standard shopping experience. "It's something that would have greatly benefited my family when I was growing up," he told BBC Radio Surrey. "It's really important that people can shop here with dignity. I hope people can now experience that support that has been lacking."
The model works like a hybrid between a food bank and a supermarket. Members pay an annual fee of £5 to join, and then can purchase groceries at a fraction of their retail price. The products are sourced from charities like FareShare.
Dub Everitt, a pastor at Welcome Church, emphasized that membership is not means-tested, so anyone who is struggling can sign up. About 250 people have already registered ahead of the launch, and organizers expect more than 1,000 families to join within the first year.
"We discovered we are brilliant with short-term emergency food, but long-term, reliable discounted food just wasn't there," Everitt said. "It's a beautiful store and lovely environment which will restore dignity for people."
The grocery chain runs 35 similar stores across the UK.