Set up in May 2010 by Arthur Potts Dawson

Arthur Potts Dawson

Arthur Potts Dawson, born and bought up in Camden, London, has been cooking for twenty one years. He started with a three year apprenticeship with the Roux brothers, worked with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place for two years, with Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers at the River Café for four years, Hugh...

, Kate Wickes-Bull, David Barrie

David Barrie

David Barrie is a designer, producer and director of urban renewal, citizen involvement and media projects and programs....

 and a team of supporters and professional advisors, the People's Supermarket is a food cooperative with 1000 members that seeks to provide the local community with good cheap food that's fair to consumers and producers. The People's Supermarket is located in Lamb's Conduit Street

Lamb's Conduit Street

Lamb's Conduit Street is street in central London, located in Bloomsbury on the west end of the city. There are many independent traders along the street. The street was named after William Lambe in recognition of the £1,500 he gave for the rebuilding of the Holborn Conduit in 1564.-External links:*...

, Holborn

Holborn

Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 near to Great Ormond Street Hospital

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...

.

Based upon the concept of the food co-operative and inspired in part by the Park Slope Food Coop

Park Slope Food Coop

The Park Slope Food Coop is a food cooperative located in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. It is one of the oldest and largest active food co-ops in the United States...

 in the Park Slope

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...

 neighborhood of Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, members of the social enterprise

Social enterprise

A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....

 are required to pay an £25 annual fee and contribute 4 hours of their time every 4 weeks to working in the store. In return, members receive a 10%+ discount off their shopping in-store.

The People's Supermarket was visited by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

, David Cameron

David Cameron

David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....

 on Monday 14 February 2011 immediately prior to his speech relaunching his flagship Big Society

Big Society

The Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building...

 initiative and the creation of the Big Society Bank

Big Society Bank

The Big Society Bank is a bank planned by the UK Government to help finance projects under the banner of the Big Society. Launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010 the BSB is expected to begin operations in Q3 2011...

 at Somerset House

Somerset House

Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...

 in central London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

Media

The People's Supermarket is a Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 documentary series which follows Chef and eco-restaurateur Arthur Potts Dawson

Arthur Potts Dawson

Arthur Potts Dawson, born and bought up in Camden, London, has been cooking for twenty one years. He started with a three year apprenticeship with the Roux brothers, worked with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place for two years, with Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers at the River Café for four years, Hugh...

 journey to launch a supermarket that is owned by its customers in order to compete with the UK's Big 4 Supermarkets. The show features the shop's founding members and local residents which include Goldsmith Jocelyn Burton

Jocelyn Burton

Jocelyn Burton was born in Wales in 1946 and is the daughter of the famous Flight Lieutenant Roland Burton. Jocelyn intended to read modern languages at Cambridge, but at a late stage decided to train as a silversmith at Sir John Cass College in London where she studied under Jack Stapley. In 1967...

. The first series launched on the 6th February 2011 for a 4 episode run. The series is set to conclude on the 27th February 2011.

The People's Supermarket has also featured on BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

, airing on the 15th July 2010 on the You and Yours

You and Yours

You and Yours is a British radio consumer affairs programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.-History:It began broadcasting in October 1970, its first presenter was Joan York. In the great rescheduling of April 1998 it was increased from a 25 minute programme to 55 minutes. In the 1980s it briefly ran...

 programme.

Episodes

Episode	First Aired	Summary
1	Sunday 6 February 2011	Arthur tries to get his big idea started, but worries that a big name supermarket will grab the premises he's got his eye on.
2	Sunday 13 February 2011	Arthur comes up with a guerrilla-style marketing campaign to persuade shoppers from nearby Sainsbury's to switch.
3	Sunday 20 February 2011	Arthur is struggling to keep the supermarket afloat. He decides to open a kitchen. But will people eat food destined for the bin?
4	Sunday 27 February 2011	The supermarket faces closure and Arthur's dream of a not-for-profit shop that is run for and by the people may well be over. It's time for him to take his biggest risk so far. Prime Minister, David Cameron David Cameron David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....  visits the supermarket to discuss the concept and the progress being made with Arthur Arthur Potts Dawson Arthur Potts Dawson, born and bought up in Camden, London, has been cooking for twenty one years. He started with a three year apprenticeship with the Roux brothers, worked with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place for two years, with Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers at the River Café for four years, Hugh...  prior to his speech relaunching his flagship Big Society Big Society The Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building...  initiative. The show ends with Arthur Arthur Potts Dawson Arthur Potts Dawson, born and bought up in Camden, London, has been cooking for twenty one years. He started with a three year apprenticeship with the Roux brothers, worked with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place for two years, with Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers at the River Café for four years, Hugh...  hopeful of a grant from the Big Society Bank Big Society Bank The Big Society Bank is a bank planned by the UK Government to help finance projects under the banner of the Big Society. Launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010 the BSB is expected to begin operations in Q3 2011... once it is running in June 2011.