“We’re just a bunch of ordinary people trying to do the right thing”

Leading the way in the wholefoods market, we chat to Suma co-operative member Sophie Ziegler-jones to find out how the co-op is going from strength to strength

Hi Sophie, tell us a little bit about Suma

We’re a vegetarian wholefoods wholesaler and we also sell directly to customers via our online shop. I think most people will know us for our Suma food, Ecoleaf household and ALTER/NATIVE bodycare ranges. We were set-up as a worker co-op where everyone is paid the same wage and has an equal say in how we’re run.

How did Suma come about?

It started in Leeds, in the 1970s, when our founder,

Reg, spotted a gap for bulk vegetarian provisions. Back then, people thought wholefoods were just for hippies. He set up a collective and would deliver after hours from the back of his van – I guess you could call it an early zero-waste store! Since then, we haven’t looked back.

Ingenious! How have things changed since then?

Well, the wholefoods market has gone from strength to strength; vegetarianism has become mainstream, closely followed by veganism. Sustainability and environmental impact – which we’ve championed from the off – are now the urgent issues of the day. Suma is still run on the same principles as day one: cruelty-free, sustainable, ethical, fair trade, organic and co-operative.

You must have racked up some serious eco-credentials over the years

Where to start? We’re certified by the Soil Association, the Vegetarian Society and the Vegan Society. We’ve been cruelty-free since day one and all our Ecoleaf and ALTER/NATIVE products are approved under the Leaping Bunny programme. We’re Fair Tax certified and proud members of Business Declares, too, a network of businesses acknowledging the climate emergency.

We can tell that you’re passionate about the industry

It’s hard not to get excited. We regularly win awards – in fact last year, we were chuffed to make it to the top of Ethical Consumer’s Best Ethical Supermarket listing, which is no mean feat given their stringent criteria. I think our new and ambitious sustainability strategy played a big part in this.

Oh yes?

Our aim is to be Net Zero by 2030. We already do a lot to support the environment, like reducing waste and carbon emissions, supporting local suppliers and organic agriculture, while promoting fair trade, co-ops and B-corps. We plant trees every year to help prevent flooding in our local area and are continuing the switch to electric and bio-gas fuel vehicles powered by food waste. We’re also working towards being a ‘zero waste to landfill’ business and are already really close to that.

That’s incredible!

Thanks. It’s going to be hard work, but we know it’s the right thing to do and that’s what we’re about – we’re just a bunch of ordinary people trying to do the right thing.

Suma is clearly setting the bar for the competition

All of our members live and breathe wholefoods. We’ve always been a trailblazer for vegetarian, vegan, and sustainably-sourced wholefoods and aim to support innovative, independent suppliers who aren’t stocked by the big supermarkets. We offer a huge range of products from storecupboard essentials, such as cereals, soups, sauces and baking ingredients, plus everything to keep your cleaning cupboard and bathroom cabinet well stocked, too. New product development is really important to us and we often bring to market UK firsts. One product that we’re excited about is our new gluten-free oat pasta. The future is very exciting, indeed.

For more information, to find your nearest stockist and to shop online, visit suma.coop

Selling everything needed to stock an organic, cruelty-free, ethical and sustainable home, Suma has been championing environmental issues since day one, while also providing equal wages and a voice within the initiative to all of its co-operative members