Just a stone’s throw away from London Road you’ll find the Regather Works Trading Cooperative. Their eco-conscious and locally supportive team deliver organic fruit & veg boxes and specialise in event organisation and catering. They pride themselves on being ‘managed by local people for local people’, and their company ethos endorses the idea of local traders working together to share values and ideas with the aim of supporting the local economy and establishing a cohesive community. “At a time when big is seen as better, ‘Little Sheffield’ is pioneering a new approach to local economics in the city that built its fortune on the small.” Gareth Roberts – Director at Regather.
Regather’s primary project is their organic fruit & veg box delivery scheme. They source seasonal produce that’s ‘as local as possible’ and with prices starting at just £5.50 for veg boxes, it’s affordable for most budgets, and can be delivered weekly, fortnightly or as a one-off. Their fruit boxes contain a quirky selection of seasonal fruits, with prices starting at £3.00. Alongside the fruit & veg boxes, they also deliver produce from local traders including fresh bread from Forge Bakehouse, Twin Café coffee, an extensive selection of Birdhouse Tea Company teas and locally sourced milk, eggs and honey. All products can be delivered straight to your door with their charming low-carbon emission trike.
“2017 promises to be a big year for Regather Co-Op with many dreams finally coming to fruition. This is especially true for our Fruit and Veg Box scheme. We’ve seen a massive uptake in the latter part of 2016 and its been great to be part of a wider trend of people wanting to reconnect with food and where it comes from.” Fran – Regather Box Scheme.
From my personal perspective – a student on a limited budget, cooking for one – the Regather veg box seems like an ideal scheme for me to invest in. After a few days of eating leftover takeaway from that hazy drunken night out, my body is certainly in need of some fresh veg, and at only £5.50, it’s a no-brainer. Having talked to other veg box customers I certainly feel inspired to try some of the more weird and wonderful selections that are available such as the rainbow chard, golden beetroot and kohlrabi; offering a much-needed exotic change from my monotonous student diet of pasta and takeaways.
And as if that isn’t enough, Regather also have their own on-site brewery specialising in vegan-friendly craft ales. If you’re a real craft beer fan, you can purchase a Brew Day Experience Voucher that includes thirty bottles of real ale.
The folks at Regather run a wide range of events including weekly comedy, film and music nights. If you feel inspired by the veg boxes or consider yourself a ‘foodie’ you may want to check out one of their supper clubs. Upcoming supper club events include a Taste of Cuba on 10 March which will feature authentic Latin food and rum cocktails, and Eating Seasonally on 12 April, offering a multi-course sit-down meal using the best local and seasonal produce.
Regather’s Sharrow venue is also available for hire. With facilities including a cinema, fully-licensed bar and catering kitchen making it perfect for pop-up restaurants, workshops and meetings. You can find out more here.
Words: Katherine Herbert
Images courtesy of Regather Cooperative
