When it comes to reducing food miles, there are few supermarkets that could beat Thornton’s Budgens thanks to its roof market garden.
Here, the Crouch End store grows salad products, which are then sold under the brand name ‘Food from the Sky’. It’s just one of the many ways this independent supermarket holds its own against the neighbouring branches of Waitrose and Tesco.
Even though the store is part of the Budgens national chain, it is franchised to Andrew Thornton, along with another business in Belsize Park. As well as providing fresh salads for the London stores, the garden also offers opportunities for local volunteers to hone their horticultural skills.
“Our customers are very supportive of independent retailers and so we try to give back as much as we can to the community,” says the store’s fresh produce manager Debora Braun. “My background is in customer service and so I am very aware of the need to listen to what people want. We stock a lot of different vegetables and fruits that the other stores do not, such as ochre, as that’s what customers are asking for.”
Both Braun and marketing assistant Nathalie Quinn say that being in a position to act quickly on customer requests has helped the supermarket to develop a loyal following. Quinn gives the example of how a customer tweeted about the absence of lemongrass in any of the stores in Crouch End.
“I immediately tweeted back and said that we would look into ordering some,” she says.
“We have a feedback board in-store and we always reply to people as quickly as possible.”
Aside from speedy customer service, the store also benefits from very effective wastage policies. Produce that is still fit for consumption but potentially not for sale to customers is used as ingredients for dishes sold on the deli and hot food counter.
The store’s chef makes soups, pies and any other dish inspired by the day’s leftover produce. “We try to have as little waste as possible,” explains Braun. “Anything that we cannot sell or make into hot food, we give to a food recycling scheme.”
Where possible, Braun buys in British produce, but she is keen to have more London-grown fruit and veg. “We are always on the lookout for growers who could supply quality, really locally grown produce,” she adds. “Again, we are always trying to offer something different rather than the same things you can buy in one of the chain supermarkets.”
Such is the supermarket’s success, that it was recently named Budgens’ store of the year. The award came with a £7,000 cheque that will be used to up-grade staff facilities.
“I know we are doing good work here because we are often visited by larger supermarkets that are interested in the way we do things,” says Braun.
“The fact that we have a Tesco and a Waitrose just doors away and yet we are still trading very well shows that you can compete, as long as you offer something different.” -
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