UNI
Unicorn Grocery
1995 - ongoing
National Co-operative Archive
Unicorn Grocery
1995-
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
English
15 boxes
1 bundle
Unicorn Digitised Material
Unicorn Grocery is a worker owned grocery based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. Registered as a workers' co-operative in 1995, it secured the loan capital required to open in 1996, using as a blueprint two workers' co-operatives in the south of England; Daily Bread Northampton and Daily Bread Cambridge.
Through bulk-purchasing wholefoods, emphasising local and sustainable agriculture, and offering affordable produce, Unicorn fast established itself as a cornerstone in the local community. Unicorn has remained committed to its original values of: secure employment; equal opportunity; wholesome, healthy consumption; fair and sustainable trade; and solidarity in co-operation.
Material relating to Unicorn Grocery. Includes: meeting minutes, general business documentation, prices lists, promotional material, and training documents.
The arrangement largely reflects the original arrangement of the material by members at Unicorn Grocery.
In October 2017, the National Co-operative Archive published a call-out for historic materials within the wider workers' co-operative community for Working Together , a Heritage Lottery Funded project seeking to record and preserve the heritage of the workers' co-operative moment. This material was deposited by current members of Unicorn Grocery in response to this call out.
Published book: One Step Too Far, by Tina Seskis, (published by Penguin Books, 2014). Part of the book takes place at Unicorn Grocery.
Interviews with members of Unicorn Grocery are held at the National Co-operative Archive for consultation in the reading room. A selection of these are available on the National Co-operative Archive website:
Unicorn Oral History Interviews
The collection is open to any accredited reader, subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Some files in this collection are subject to Data Protection legislation as they contain sensitive information and material under 30 years old is closed to access. It is advised that you contact the Archivist before visiting.
workers cooperatives
employee ownership
wholefoods
Unicorn Grocery
1995-
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
UNI/1
Meeting Minutes
1995 - 2011
National Co-operative Archive
English
6 boxes
Contains minutes from various meetings held at Unicorn. Includes minutes and agendas from general meetings, members meetings and forum meetings.
Access to material may be restricted due to personal data.
UNI/1/1
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 1995-1998
6th Nov 1995 - 27th Jul 1998
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/2
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 1998-1999
6th Aug 1998 - 13th May 1999
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/3
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 1999-2000
1st Jun 1999 - 25th May 2000
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/4
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2000-2001
8th Jun 2000 - 21st Jun 2001
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/5
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2001-2006
1st Feb 2001 - 17th Jul 2006
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/6
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2001-2002
5th Jul 2001 - 12th Sep 2002
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/7
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2002-2003
23rd Sep 2002 - 5th Jun 2003
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/8
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2003-2004
19th Jun 2003 - 4th Nov 2004
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/9
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2004-2006
18th Nov 2004 - 11th Jan 2006
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/10
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2005-2006
25th Apr 2005 - 13th Jul 2006
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/11
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2006 - January to May
26th Jan 2006 - 4th May 2006
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/12
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2006 - July to December
20th Apr 2006 - 9th Aug 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/13
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2006-2007
20th Apr 2006 - 9th Aug 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/14
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2007 - January to May
11th Jan 2007 - 3rd May 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/15
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2007- May to October
7th May 2007 - 18th Oct 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/16
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2007 - October to December
29th Oct 2007 - 13th Dec 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/17
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2008
10th Jan 2008 - 26th Jun 2008
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/18
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2008-2009
4th Jul 2008 - 8th Jan 2009
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/19
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2009 - 2011
22nd Jan 2009 - 12th Sep 2011
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/20
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2009
19th Mar 2009 - 26th Nov 2009
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/21
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2009-2010
10th Dec 2009 - 9th Dec 2010
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/1/22
Unicorn Meeting Minutes 2011
6th Jul 2011 - 15th Sep 2011
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/2
General business documentation
1997 - 2012
National Co-operative Archive
English
3 boxes
Access to some of the material may be restricted.
UNI/2/1
Trading Standards
1998 - 2002
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Documents relating to Trading Standards inspections.
UNI/2/2
Pest prevention
1997 - 2011
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 box
Documents relating to pest prevention.
UNI/2/3
Waste packaging
2006 - 2012
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Documents relating to waste packaging obligations and compliance.
UNI/2/4
Phones
2006 - 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Documents relating to phones and phone lines.
UNI/2/5
Employment
c.2000
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 box
Documents relating to employment.
Restrictions due to personal data.
UNI/3
Price lists
1998 - 2001
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/3/1
Price lists 1998-2001
1998 - 2001
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/4
Promotional material
1996 - 2018
National Co-operative Archive
English
2 boxes
2 folders
1 bundle
Promotional material relating to Unicorn Grocery.
UNI/4/1
Clothing
c. 2000's
National Co-operative Archive
English
2 boxes
Promotional clothing used by Unicorn members including: aprons, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tea towels and bags.
UNI/4/2
Posters
c. 2015 - 2016
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 bundle
3 posters. "The Mancunian Suspects" by Jim Connolly. Inscribed "with love to unicorn & BDB! Jim". "Meet the Producers" event at Unicorn Grocery, Monday 3rd October. "Standing With Small Farmers: Ecological Alternative To Global Agribusiness In Africa & Beyond" event held at Unicorn, Monday 22nd June.
UNI/4/3
Printed publications (in house)
c.2000 - 2012
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Material includes: leaflets, pamphlets, postcards and letterheads.
UNI/4/4
Printed publications (external)
1996 - 2018
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Material includes newspaper clipping and magazine articles promoting Unicorn.
UNI/5
Training documents
2005 - 2008
National Co-operative Archive
English
2 boxes
Papers relating to various training events and courses put on and attended by members of Unicorn.
UNI/5/1
Training Minutes 2002-2005
8th Aug 2002 - 3rd Feb 2005
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 volume
UNI/5/2
Training Minutes 2005
17th Feb 2005 - 8th Dec 2005
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/5/3
Training Minutes 2006
19th Feb 2006 - 8th Dec 2006
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/5/4
Training Minutes 2007
4th Jan 2007 - 25th Oct 2007
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/5/5
Training Minutes 2008
17th Jan 2008 - 27th Mar 2008
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Training Minutes 2008
UNI/5/6
Training Feedback Sheets
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
Some material may not be available due to data protection restrictions.
UNI/5/7
Training Handouts
2005 - 2008
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 folder
UNI/6
Miscellaneous
1995 - 2016
National Co-operative Archive
English
3 items
Miscellaneous material relating to Unicorn Grocery.
UNI/6/1
Unicorn pre-history
1995
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 item
Document outlining Unicorn's pre-history, written by Griff Dines.
UNI/6/2
The old shop layout
2010
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 item
Pencil drawing showing the old shop layout. Note on drawing 'old shop (from memory, 2010) - pre 2003.'
UNI/6/3
Fair Tax Mark certificate
2015 - 2016
National Co-operative Archive
English
1 item