Cost-of-living crisis: Glasgow opens new discount food shop

Wheatley Homes Glasgow has teamed up with Good Food Scotland to open a community food larder in the East End of Glasgow.

The Sandyhills Larder is based on the ground floor of a Wheatley Homes Glasgow multi-storey at 20 Balbeggie Street and is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 10am until 1pm.

Customers pay an annual fee of £12, or £1 per month, and buy items based on points, with items heavily discounted and significantly cheaper than supermarkets and high street stores.

The Sandyhills Larder is based on the ground floor of a Wheatley Homes Glasgo (Image: Sourced)

The larder includes fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, baby food, as well as frozen and tinned food.

This is the second community larder opened by Wheatley Homes Glasgow and Good Food Scotland after the successful launch of a similar larder in Kennishead last year.

Bernadette Hewitt, Tenant Chair of Wheatley Homes Glasgow, said: “There is a very obvious need for something like this just now as people continue to feel the pinch due to the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s great to be able to open another larder in one of our communities. The concept is simple, but we know it works and is making a difference in peoples’ lives.

“The community has really welcomed the new larder with open arms and the feedback we’ve received has been very positive.”

The larder is open to everyone, but Good Food Scotland staff can help people find other community food groups closer to their home.

Pauline Gilgallon, from Good Food Scotland, said: “It’s very exciting, especially considering the success of the Kennishead Larder and the amount of work that has gone into setting up this service.

“The support we’ve had in our joint working with Wheatley Group has been second to none.

“There are lots of areas in Glasgow where there is limited access to stores that offer affordable foods, so having services like the Sandyhills Larder is a lifeline for a lot of people.

“While affordable food is what gets people through the door, members can also meet new people and develop relationships with their neighbours and the wider community.

“That’s something you can’t put a price on.”

Samantha Higgins, a Sandyhills Larder member and local resident, said: “You can buy great brands much cheaper than you would in the supermarkets. It’s very reasonable.

“It’s pet-friendly too which is fantastic and it’s bringing the community together. There are a lot of people who are struggling just now to pay for things like their shopping and maybe don’t get out all that often, so this gives them somewhere they can go each week.

“I love coming in, everyone is so friendly, and you can sit down and have a chat, rather than rushing about like you might in other shops.”