Central England Co-op rolls out exciting and sustainable new ranges into stores for 2022 offering customers more choice

Posted by james brindle | Published: 19/01/2022

Central England Co-op is working with numerous exciting new brands to offer its customers and members some great new ranges which also offer healthier and sustainable alternatives for 2022.

Among the new independent suppliers that are being rolled out in the retailer’s stores across 16 counties are Nuud plastic free gum, Drop Bear Beer Co and Naughty Water Boozy Seltzer.

All three suppliers have unique selling points and fit perfectly with Central England Co-op’s ethos and purpose to create a sustainable Society for all, as well as providing alternatives for people looking for healthier or more ethically aware lifestyles.

Nuud plastic free gum, as seen on BBC’s Dragons Den, is not only plastic free, but is also plant-based, biodegradable and naturally sugar free.

Currently available in two flavours, peppermint and spearmint, the products have been launched across all of the retailer’s 260 plus stores.

Keir Carnie, founder of Nuud Gum, said he was ‘over the moon’ to have partnered with Central England Co-op as he looks to offer an alternative to ‘regular chewing gum’ which he says contains as much single-use plastic as a drinking straw in just one piece.

He said: “As people become more aware of how much single-use plastic they use and the impact that has on the environment, it is still not often recognised that regular chewing gum contains plastic – in fact 100,000 tons of plastic is chewed every year in the UK.

“Then you also have the knock-on littering impact with 95% of pavements in the UK having plastic gum stuck to them. Nuud gum offers a real alternative for environmentally conscious shoppers, as it is plastic-free made the way chewing gum was first made hundreds of years ago – using a sustainably harvested tree sap called Chicle as our gum base. It's this natural ingredient that makes our gum plastic free and biodegradable.

“We are absolutely over the moon to have our products rolled out across Central England Co-op stores and to work with a retailer that holds such importance to sustainability and reducing plastic use like ourselves. They’ve been great to work with so far and we are delighted they have seen the potential in the range.”

Now in 222 stores across the country, initially for a short trial period, is a range of award-winning 0.5% ABV craft beers from Drop Bear Beer Co.

The range not only offers the retailer’s customers a low alcohol alternative, but Drop Bear have also been committed to sustainability as a business since their launch in 2019, are proud to be B Corp and have taken the Green Growth Pledge and Equality Pledge.

Joelle Drummond, Director of Sales & Marketing and Co-founder of Drop Bear Beer Co, said: “Just like us at Drop Bear, Central England Co-op has always placed importance on using their business as a force for good, working hard to create positive impacts on local communities and the environment. With such strongly aligned values, it's the perfect supplier-stockist partnership.

"We created the award-winning range of 0.5% ABV Drop Bear craft beers to bring true craft beer to the alcohol-free market.

“We're proud to announce that Central England Co-op stocks the entire range including Yuzu Pale Ale, Tropical IPA, and Bonfire Stout. Whether you like a beer packed with tropical fruit flavours, a lighter lager, or a smokey stout, there's something for everyone."

Also newly launched at Central England Co-op, across all 260 plus stores, is Naughty Water Boozy Seltzers, which offers a lower calorie, vegan and gluten-free option for drinkers, while also seizing on the growing trend for hard seltzers.

Co-founder with friend Simon Horth, Charlie Brake, said: “Being an independent brand and securing the Central England Co-op has been nothing short of overwhelming for Simon and me.

“Naughty Water is low calorie (only 72kcals per can) so it can be enjoyed by almost everyone, particularly the more health-conscious individual who wants to drink alcohol but doesn’t want to consume any hidden nasties.

“We’re vegan, gluten free, keto-friendly, and we are very much environmentally conscious; we only use recycled aluminium cans.”

Gary Berns, Head of Ambient Trading at Central England Co-op, said: “At Central England Co-op we continually strive to offer our customers and members varied and distinctive ranges, as well as supporting local, independent businesses which produce quality, carefully crafted products.

“We are delighted to work with businesses which not only provide great alternatives for our shoppers, but which also share common values with ourselves around sustainability and concern for the environment.”

For more information about products and deals at Central England Co-op visit www.centralengland.coop/food

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 8,000 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 20 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.

It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.

Central England Co-op was named Leading Co-op of the Year by Co-operatives UK in 2021.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop