About us
Greencity Wholefoods is a wholesaler of fine food and drink based in Glasgow’s vibrant east end.
We are Scotland's premier ethical wholesaler, supplying to trade in organic, vegan, free-from, Fairtrade food & drink and professional eco-friendly cleaning products.
We also have our own range of wholefoods, produced and packed right here in Glasgow – you’ll find them stocked in lovely independent shops across Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland.
We offer over 4000 retail and catering lines, including a wide range of high-quality organic ingredients, servicing deli, farm shops, cafes and restaurant clients in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England with minimum order values starting as low as £100.
We operate as a worker co-operative, democratically run by our members, which means all our staff have a say (and a vote!) in how we conduct our business.
We strive to treat customers, suppliers, the community and our workers with fairness and respect and champion co-operative working as a successful alternative business model.
Our History
Named after our beloved city, Glaschu “the Dear Green Place” — Greencity burst onto the wholefood scene back in 1978, and we haven’t looked back since. From day one, we’ve been a worker co-op, run by the people who work here.
We started out in a pretty humble way, splitting sacks of lentils and peas to supply wholefoods to local shops and restaurants. Back then, we were based in a warehouse in Hillington, before moving to our current home in Dennistoun in 1983, where we’re still proudly rooted today.
For more details about our cooperative journey see Greencity through the years below.
Core Values
At Greencity our business model is rooted in a set of core values that drive our mission and define our approach to operations. We are committed to fostering a democratic environment that champions ownership, ensuring every voice within our organisation is valued and heard. Fairness and equality are intrinsic to our culture, allowing us to build a robust workplace where all individuals are treated with respect.
Vision
Greencity is committed to transforming the food landscape by advocating for a sustainable food system deeply rooted in community, cooperation, and fairness throughout the supply chain. Our vision emphasises the importance of fostering a culture that prioritises the well-being of individuals and the environment.
Mission
Greencity aims to promote and provide healthier food choices that not only enhance individual health but also significantly reduce our environmental footprint. Our approach centres on cooperative working, and championing small producers to bring products to the market, to create a resilient and equitable food ecosystem.
Our People
We operate as a worker co-operative, democratically run by our member workers, which means we all have a say (and a vote!) in how we conduct our business. We believe that decisions are stronger when made collectively. Our business structure has no top-down decision making, as we believe that we are stronger steering our strategy together, with collective accountability.
We operate as a worker co-operative, democratically owned and run by our member workers. The people who do the work collectively shape the direction of the business, with every member having an equal voice and an equal vote. We are guided by values of fairness, mutual respect, and shared responsibility, believing that decisions are stronger when made collectively. Our co-operative structure supports transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability, while fostering a workplace rooted in dignity, trust, and care for one another and the communities we serve.
Ethics
Greencity does not sell any products tested on animals and we only sell goods that are suitable for vegetarians
Careers
Greencity Wholefoods is a democratic worker co-op with over 50 members. Working here is about more than just a job — everyone who joins us helps shape how the business runs, lives our shared values, and plays a part in our community.
When you start at Greencity, you will be on the road to becoming a full member, after a successful probationary period. Being a member means having a real say in decisions, an equal vote, and ownership of your role and the co-op.
We know that everyone is different, and we’re committed to being open, welcoming, and inclusive in how we recruit.
Equal opportunity statement
Greencity are committed to equality for everyone. We nurture a working environment in which all are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit.
Our selection for recruitment does not discriminate on the grounds of age, colour, physical ability, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, gender identity, family status, marital status, pre-natal status, or sexual orientation.
Greencity through the years
1978
Founded on Hamilton Park Avenue, Glasgow, with 4 members as Scottish Wholefoods Collective Warehouse Ltd. First HQ – a humble tenement flat!
1980
With 12 worker-members, quickly outgrows the tenement flat and moves premises to Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow’s Southside.
Produces its first pre-packed product – white flour. Future product innovations include Greencity own brand oils, much laborious decanting of barrels of Shoyu and Tamari, as well as collaboration with a Scottish farmer to grow a field of brown lentils on our behalf.
1982
Name changes to Greencity Wholefoods. Chosen as the trading name because Glasgow in Gaelic (Glaschu) means ‘Dear Green Place’ and Glasgow has more parkland per head of population than any other city in Europe, despite its gritty reputation.
1983
Moves from Hillington Industrial Estate to the current premises in the East End of Glasgow; purchased outright in 1998.
1984
Greencity collaborates with Campaign Coffee Scotland to distribute Fair Trade coffee. Those old enough to remember will never forget the “hardcore solidarity” taste of Tanica, the very first Fairtrade coffee (instant and powdered) to be sold on the UK Market! Rrrrrrough!
1988
Hosts a wholefoods café & veg patch at Glasgow’s Garden Festival, the UKs biggest single event that year, attracting 4.3 million visitors. Based on the story of “Jack & the Beanstalk”, our exhibit sought to promote the environmental sustainability of a plant-based diet, and featured a working flour mill and a chainsaw sculpture, ‘Jack’s Cow’, made by Neil Shaw Finlayson.
1989
Co-founds Highland Wholefoods, our sister co-operative based in Inverness, still going strong. Mentoring assistance to other co-op start-ups continues to this day, as well as active participation in Co-op to
Co-op trading networks.
1992
Greencity’s own Highland Bramble Crunch Muesli awarded bronze award at ScotHot Trade Show with its unique Scottish take on a Swiss classic.
1998
Helps to found Genetix Food Alert, with members active in the 343-day vigil to protect fields in Munlochy, Black Isle as GM crops become seen as a real danger to biodiversity. Scotland is declared a GM-Free Nation in 2015, safeguarding the “clean green” status of our £14 billion pound Food and Drink Industry. Result!
Also in 1998, Greencity receives Soil Association certification, and continues to support the Organic movement with almost half of our stock lines being certified Organic today.
2002
Leases part of warehouse out as studio space for local artists – eventually spawning 2 floors of thriving cultural community including workshops, learning spaces and a recording studio. Early tenants include internationally acclaimed artists David Sherry, Mick Peter and Simone Landwehr-Traxler.
2003
Greencity celebrates its 25th birthday with a trade show at the Dennistoun warehouse, and a party on the Renfrew Ferry. Warehouse manager, Phil Murray, is resident DJ!
2006
Greencity is a key player in helping Glasgow gain its status as a Fairtrade City.
2007
Voted Best Green Business in the Glasgow Lord Provost Awards.
2014
Greencity grows to 37 worker-members, and launches Organic Barlotto mix (made with Scottish barley) as well as a Red Lentil Dahl Mix and a Falafel Mix, mirroring the changing taste buds of the Scottish population!
2015
Sponsorship of United Glasgow Women’s Football Team – Greencity branded strips – in solidarity with their refugee integration work amongst local communities.
2016
Installs solar panels in office building to minimise Greencity’s carbon footprint. Since then more panels have been added to the warehouse roof and all lighting retrofitted to LEDs.
2018
Bans all single use plastic bottles across soft drinks range.
2019
Hosts a Kitchen Table Talk to feed into the Scottish Good Food Nation Bill, and a workshop with Zero Waste Scotland, bringing together zero waste retailers and suppliers at Greencity HQ to pool knowledge on packaging reduction.
2020
Keeps lots of indy shops supplied with Organic & healthy food during the Covid-19 Lockdowns, while many shoppers move towards buying locally more often.
Joins the Wellbeing Economy Alliance – a collaboration of groups working to build momentum for economic transformation so that economies around the world deliver shared wellbeing for people and planet by 2040.
2021
Glasgow hosts COP26, during which Greencity hosts Extinction Rebellion, who cook up energising meals from our yard for delivery to climate protestors across the city.
Also during COP26, Greencity donates food supplies to Minga Indigena, a collective of groups and communities from indigenous nations throughout Abya Yala (the American continent) visiting the city to raise awareness of the affect that climate change has on indigenous people.
2024 and beyond...
We commission Cobolt Collective to paint a huge mural on our Dennistoun headquarters, a daily, colourful reminder of the importance of working together towards a common goal.
With 50+ members and counting, we have plenty more in store. Thanks to all our loyal customers throughout the years and our fantastic suppliers and producers – may the journey continue and may the road ahead remain just as interesting!
