Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
Essential Trading have been servicing wholesale communities and supporting the local economy since 1971 when the Co-operative’s first Harvest store opened in Bath. Following a 1991 merger of two worker co-ops, Bristol-based Nova Wholefoods Co-operative Limited and Bath Wholefood Co-operative Limited, Essential have become one of the largest worker co-operatives in the UK and a true pioneer in the manufacturing and distribution of vegetarian, vegan, organic, sustainable and "free-from" produce, sourced from around the world. As a unified team, all at Essential share passions for hearty and healthy food, an environmental consciousness and an egalitarian co-operative structure.