About
Highland Wholefoods is a worker’s co-operative in the Highlands of Scotland. Founded in 1989, The company is wholly owned by its employees and is democratically run with a non-hierarchical structure. We supply vegetarian, vegan, organic, ethical and environmentally friendly food, drinks and household products to the Highlands, islands and north-east Scotland.
History
Highland Wholefoods Workers Cooperative Ltd was founded in August 1989.
Before Highland Wholefoods opened, Inverness was served by Brambles, a wholefood store on Huntly Street. When Brambles closed ‘Green City’, a worker’s coop in Glasgow, who had been one of their major suppliers helped a team of 5 founders to establish Highland Wholefoods to takeover supplying wholefoods to the Highlands.
In 1997 when Ronnie Jackson, owner of ‘Jacksons of Skye’ retired he sold the business to us. ‘Jacksons Wholefoods’ as it is now named is our only location outside Inverness.
The Inverness showroom opened in May 2000, allowing a more user-friendly experience for retail customers.
Products
We specialise in vegetarian, vegan, Organic, local, ethical and environmentally sustainable food, drinks and household products. Everything we sell is vegetarian. We stock over 3000 lines, covering a wide range of products. We offer trade accounts, but we are also open to the public.
Our production unit bags a wide range of wholefoods into different sizes and we hold a Soil Association licence to pack a range of organic products. In line with co-operative principles, we seek co-operative and community suppliers for our products where possible.
A Worker’s Co-Operative
Highland Wholefoods is a worker owned co-operative. This means that the organisation is owned and controlled by it’s employees. Employees participate in the creation and running of our working practices and our working environment. Because there is no external shareholders we are able to run our business as we choose; based on the seven principles of co-operation.