Local and Sustainable Food
The Problem: Industrial agriculture produces food of uncertain quality and harms local ecosystems, while consumption of non-local food imposes high transport impacts
Ipswich Food Coop - Cheap, healthy, organic wholefood
The Food Coop is open once a fortnight on a Saturday (10am - 2pm), at 19 Tower Street [Map] - for opening dates see What's On or the Food Coop website. It buys in bulk from wholesalers (the main one is Suma Wholefoods, an established workers' cooperative) and adds just a small margin to cover running costs, so it's very good value. The emphasis is on organic food, local produce and Fairtrade.
Poppy's Pantry
Poppy's Pantry is a local and wholefood shop (vegetarian). The shop is situated on a small industrial estate in Melton [Map] with parking right outside the front door.
If you can not find what your looking for they will try to get it in the next time they order. Poppy’s Pantry is an emerging enterprise aiming to create work opportunities and activities, as well as work-based employment training for people with learning disabilities.
Eating Out
The Museum Street Cafe
The Museum Street Cafe serves great vegetarian food - see Map for location. It's open 8.30am til 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday.
They produce interesting food that shouldn't put non-vegetarians off, and serve it canteen style, so that busy people who work locally and who have a limited lunch time can nip in, see the food, choose it and be eating it within a couple of minutes. For those who prefer more leisurely refreshment, a backgammon set and a Scrabble set are available.
The menu changes each day, but you can view an example menu. Drinks available include teas, coffees and soft drinks, and they do luscious cakes. All the fresh food is prepared on the premises.
Much of the veg comes from a farm in Newbourne or the organic gardens of Bawdsey Manor. Dry goods and many drinks are supplied by Suma Wholefoods. The apple juice comes from High House Farm in Sudbourne, near Orford.