Greetings!

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Quay Co-op!

I’m delighted to pen the very first blog, and you might ask why at this time would we start a blog?

Well firstly, there has been some exciting progress here at the Co-op. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, we stayed open and managed to operate a safe space for people. We were very happy to do so, but it did get us thinking about what’s next. And while many people do want to get back out there, we realised that for some people, they would like the option of getting their favourite Co-op goods online and delivered to their homes.

The Co-op has always tried to help our customers whatever way we can. Whether it means taking an order over the phone, or dropping out a delivery; we’re happy to do what it takes. But over the harshest months of the pandemic, we set about creating our online shop. We also worked hard on our brand new website, which we hope you’re enjoying.

All in all, it’s been a very busy time here. You may also have noticed the lovely parklet that’s outside our front door! This was a community project created in partnership with Cork City Council, Benchspace Cork, Siobhán Keogh Designs and Creativity & Change CIT. We also had a succesful ‘grand opening’ of the parklet with Councilor Dan Boyle of the Green party last week, with free coffee for anyone who was nearby. The parklet makes a welcome change from the congested traffic outside, and it’s a very pleasant place to sit and take in the summer sun! So please feel free to drop in and use it at your leisure.

The parklet

All of these changes and innovations make me think of one word, sustainability. Next year in 2022, the Co-op will be celebrating its 40^th birthday, so we know we have managed to create a sustainable and vibrant community business over a long time. But, thinking of the earth’s sustainability, we are constantly seeking to improve what we’re doing. Our new Refill station is now open, and we will add to this as time goes on. We operate an electric vehicle for deliveries and we’re constantly looking at our packaging and trying to work with our suppliers to reduce the negative impacts we may have on the environment.

Our new refill station

Our thoughts will soon turn to the reopening of our upstairs restaurant. We will do this in line with safety guidelines, but we’re also working on surprising and pleasing you with some fresh ideas. We’ll keep you posted on this, as we’re aware of just how many people have missed this home from home.

As always, we love to hear from the Co-op customer community. Feel free to get in touch with your thoughts and feedback, you can email us on info@quaycoop.com anytime.

So, until next month, enjoy your Summer, and here’s to a healthy return to normal for us all!

Regards,

Simon, General Manager